Isabella d'Este, marchioness of Mantua, 1474-1539; a study of the renaissance

*iiyjilL!A CAKfWRIGHT;-*

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO

3 1822 00593 3361

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Central University Library

University of California, San Diego
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ISABELLA D'ESTE

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

THE PAINTERS OF FLORENCE. From
the 13th to the i6th Centuries. Illustrated,

ISABELLA D'ESTE, MARCHIONESS OF
MANTUA, 1474- 1539. A Study of the
Renaissance. With Illustrations. 2 vols.

THE PILGRIMS' WAY. From Winchester to
Canterbury. With 8 Coloured and numerous
other Illustrations by A. H. Hallam Murray.

ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAIS-
SANCE, AND OTHER STUDIES. With
Illustrations.

BALDASSARE CASTIGLIONE : THE PER-
FECT COURTIER. His Life AND Letters,
1478-1529. With numerous Illustrations. 2 vols.

CHRISTINA OF DENMARK, DUCHESS
OF MILAN AND LORRAINE, 1522-90.
With Illustrations.

EDITED BY

THE JOURNALS OF LADY KNIGHTLEY
OF FAWSLEY, 1850-84. With Illustrations.

Central University Library

University of California, San Diego

Please Note: This item is subject to recall
after two weeks.

Date Due

nri"^ r. ,-

' V. ._

^'^' 11 1990

CI 39 (1/90) UCSDUb.

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ISABELLA D'ESTE

MARCHIONESS OF MANTUA
1474-1539

A STUDY OF THE RENAISSANCE
BY JULIA CARTWRIGHT (Mrs. ADY)

AUTHOR OF "BEATRICE D'ESTE," "THE PAINTERS OF
FLORENCE," "MADAME," " BALDASSARRE CASTIGLIONE,"

ETC.

" La prima donna del mondoJ"

NiCCOLO DA CORREGGIO.

" D'opere illustri e di bet studi ^mica,
Cli io non so ben se piii leggiadra e bella,
Mi debba dire, piii saggia e pudica
Liberate e magnajiima Isabella."

Ariosto.

VOL. II

LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET

1923

First Edition
Second Edition
Reprinted
RepriJited
Reprinted

Cheaper Edition

Reprinted ,

February 1903
September 1 903
November 1 904
May 1907
November 191 1
November 1915
Februarv 1923

PRINTBD IN GREAT BRITAIN BY
OLIVKR AND BOYD, EDINBURGH

i'i'miyi^i"iSI,^.\Sf,f*'-IFORNIA SAN OIEGO

1822 00593 3361

CONTENTS

CHAPTER XXI

1502—1512

PAQB

Cristoforo Romano's letters — Caradosso's cup and inkstand
— Cristoforo in Rome — The Cupid of Praxiteles acquired
for Isabella's studio — Cristoforo at Naples — Isabella's
medals shown to the Queens— Cristoforo's love for
Urbino — His death at Loreto — Sabbi da Castiglione,
Knight of S. John — Sabb4 in Rhodes — His passion for
antiques and letters to Isabella — Travels in the Isles of
Greece — Antique marbles and medals sent to Mantua
— He returns to Italy and writes his memoirs . . 1-19

CHAPTER XXH

1501—1510

Isabella's library in the Grotta — Her relations with Aide
Manuzio — Letters of Lorenzo da Pavia and of Aldo —
The Aldine editions of classics — Isabella's letters to
Aldo — He is thrown into prison on Mantuan territory
— Letter of the Emperor Maximilian to Isabella on his
behalf — Death of Aldo Manuzio — Lorenzo da Pavia's
last letters to Isabella — His joui*ney to Rome and
death ....... 20-30

CHAPTER XXni

1509—1511

War of the League of Cambray — Defeat of the Venetians
at Vaila — Capture of the Marquis of Mantua near

vi CONTENTS

PAoa

Legnago — His imprisonment at Venice — Isabella ad-
ministers the Government — Her efforts to obtain
Francesco's release — Leonora goes to Urbino — Presents
of Isabella to the Bishop of Gurlc and Queen of France
— The Pope grants absolution to Venice and obtains
the release of Francesco Gonzaga — Federico sent as
hostage to Rome — His life at the Vatican and visits to
Bulogna and Urbino ..... 31-49

CHAPTER XXIV

1511—1512

The Pope's campaign against Ferrara — Isabella's anxiety
to restore peace — The Bishop of Gurk at Mantua —
Bologna captured by the French — The Uuke of
Urbino murders Cardinal Alidosi — Dangerous illness
of the Pope — His recovery ascribed to Federico's in-
fluence — Death of Isabella's pet dog. Aura — The Holy
League against France — Victory and death of Gaston
de Foix at Ravenna — The French driven out of Italy — ■
Federico at the Vatican — The Belvedere Apollo and
Tiber statue — Visit of the Duke of Ferrara to Rome . 50-64

CHAPTER XXV

1512—1513

The Congress of Mantua — The Viceroy of Naples, Bishop of
Gurk, and Giuliano dei Medici at Mantua — Maximilian
Sforza declared Duke of Milan by the allies — Isabella's
intrigues in his favour — The Medici restored by Spanish
troops — Sack of Prato and return of Giuliano and
Giovanni dei Medici to Florence — Congratulations of
Isabella — Her intrigues on behalf of Ferrara — The
Pope's threats — Cardinal Gurk in Rome — Carnival
fetes and Fra Mariano — Federico's portrait painted by
Raphael — Death of Julius II. — Election of Pope Leo
X. — Bibbiena becomes a Cardinal . . . 65-79

CONTENTS vii

CHAPTER XXVI

1512—1513

PAOH

Isabella spends the carnival at Milan — Duke Maximilian
Sforza — His weakness and extravagance — The Viceroy
of Naples and Cardinal Gurk at Milan — Isabella and
her ladies — Her letter to the Marquis in self-defence —
Brognina and Alda Boiarda dismissed from her service
— Tebaldeo attacks Mario Equicola and Isabella — In-
dignation of the Marchesa — Her letter to Cardinal
d'Este — Duchess Ehsabetta's reply . , . 80-92

CHAPTER XXVII

1513—1514.

Invasion of Lombardy by the French — Their defeat by the
Swiss at Novara — Isabella's journey to Milan stopped
by the illness of the Marquis — Papal intrigues against
Ferrara — Visit of Raimondo de Cardona to Mantua —
Journey of Isabella to the Lago di Garda — Her letters
from Lonato, Sermione, and Sal6 — Trissino presents
his " Ritratti " to her — Portrait of the Marchesa intro-
duced — Visit of Isabella to Milan and Pavia . 93-109

CHAPTER XXVIII

1514—1516

Isabella's visit to Rome — Her reception by Cardinal
Bibbiena and Giuliano dei Medici — Fetes in her honour
— Representation of " La Calandria " in the Vatican —
Her visit to Naples — Leo X. keeps her in Rome for
the carnival — Her return to Mantua and regrets for
Rome — Francis I. attacks Milan — Victory of Marignano
— Abdication of Maximilian Sforza — Federico Gonzaga
at the French Court — Death of Giuliano — Conquest of
Urbino by Lorenzo dei Medici — Flight of the Duke
and Duchesses to Mantua . , . 110-128

viii CONTENTS

CHAPTER XXIX

1516—1519

PAOB

The Duchesses of Urbino live in great poverty at Mantua —
Raphael's dishes melted down — Marriage of Castiglione
— Francesco Maria tries to recover Urbino, but is
forced to make terms with the Pope — Isabella's journey
to Provence — Betrothal of Federico Gonzaga to Maria
di Montferrato — Isabella's Latin studies — Visit of
Contarini and Soranzo to the Castello — Cristoforo
Solari at Mantua — Fra Francesco at Porto — Bandello
the novelist — His relations with the Marchesa and
pictures of her court .... 129-153

CHAPTER XXX

1519—1520

Death of the Emperor Maximilian — Of the Marquis Fran-
cesco Gonzaga — His death-bed and funeral — Proclama-
tion of his son Federico — Death of Lucrezia Borgia —
Of Isabella's secretary, Capilupi — Mario Equicola
succeeds him — Death of Lorenzo de Medici, Duke of
Urbino — Mission of Castiglione to Rome — Urbino
annexed to the Papal States — Raphael designs a
tomb for the Marquis Francesco — His picture for
Isabella — Portrait of Federico sent to Mantua —
Mentioned in Charles the First's inventories — Trial of
Longueil — Pandolfo Pico's letter on the death of
Raphael ,.,,.. 154-170

CHAPITER XXXI

1519—1520

Titian visits Mantua — Admires Mantegna's works — Visit of
the papal nuncio Chiericati — His letters to Isabella
from Spain and England — Description of the court
of Henry VIII. — Pilgrimage to Ireland, and strange

CONTENTS ix

FAOK

adventures — The sweating sickness in London —
Chiericati helps Isabella to restore friendly relations
with Charles V. — Her influence and that of Castiglione
at the Vatican — Death of Ippolita Torelli — Letters of
the Marchesa and her son to Castiglione — Death of
Cardinal Bibbiena . . . . 171-187

CHAPTER XXXII

1520—1522

The Court of Mantua under Federico — Visit of the Marquis
to Venice — His mistress, Isabella Boschetti — The
Marchesa goes to Loreto — The Duke of Urbino forced
to leave Mantua — Federico leads the papal troops
against the French — Capture of Milan — Retreat of
Lautrec — Death of Pope Leo X. — Cardinal Gonzaga
aspires to the Papacy— Election of Adrian VI. — Fran-
cesco Maria recovers Urbino — Francesco Sforza returns
to Milan — Defence of Pavia by Federico, and defeat of
the French — Isabella's new apartments in the Corte
Vecchia — The Paradiso .... 188-208

CHAPTER XXXIII

1522—1525

Ercole Gonzaga — Isabella tries to obtain his elevation to
the Cardinalate — Consults Castiglione and Trissino as
to the choice of a tutor — Sends Ercole to Bologna — He
attends Pomponazzi's lectures — The great sceptic —
His "Treatise on Immortality" burnt at Venice —
Ercole's life at college — M. Lazzaro his teacher —
Death of Pietro Pomponazzi — Veneration of Ercole
Gonzaga for his memory .... 209-222

CHAPTER XXXIV

1523 — 1525

Castiglione in Rome — Pope Adrian's reforms — Chiericati at
the Diet of Nurnberg — His letters to Isabella —

CONTENTS

PAOF

Journey of Magellan — Visit of Isabella to Venice —
Nava<rero and Titian — Doge Andrea Gritti enters into
an alliance with Charles V. — The Pof)e joins the
League — Death of Adrian VI. — Election of Clement
VII. — Castiglione sent to Rome — Wars of Lombardy —
The Connetable de Bourbon at Mantua — Isabella in
Venice — Ferrante Gonzaga goes to Spain — Castiglione
sent by the Pope to Madrid — Giulio Romano at Mantua
— Isabella Boschetti .... 223-242

CHAPTER XXXV

1525—1527

Isabella goes to Rome — Visits Urbino and Loreto — Is re-
ceived by the Pope — Occupies the Palazzo SS. Apostoli
— Death of Cardinal Gonzaga and of Duchess Elisabetta
of Urbino — The Imperialists advance southwards —
Passage of the Po, and death of Giovanni delle Bande
Nere at Mantua — Lannoy and the Pope sign a truce —
Bourbon advances against Rome — The Marquis of
Mantua warns the Pope — Isabella refuses to leave
Rome — Fortifies her house, and gives shelter to am-
bassadors and Roman ladies — Ercole Gonzaga made a
Cardinal ..... 243-257

CHAPTER XXXVI

1527—1529

Siege of Rome — Death of Bourbon — Rome sacked during
three days — Alessandro and Ferrante Gonzaga protect
Isabella's palace — Scenes of carnage in the city —
Cruelty and sacrilege of the soldiers — Isabella leaves
Rome for Ostia — Returns to Mantua — Is received with
great joy — Escape of the Venetian ambassador —
General horror at the capture and sack of Rome —
Grief of Isabella's friends — Letters of Bembo, of
Erasmus, and of Sadoleto — Death of Castiglione in
Spain .,,... 258-271

CONTENTS xi

CHAPTER XXXVII

1527—1529

PAOE

Misery of Italy — Plague in Mantua — Federico's buildings
— Isabella's Roman antiquities lost on the voyage —
Her correspondence with the Roman dealer^ Raphael
of Urbiiio — Sebastiano del Piombo— Cardinal Ercole's
love of art and letters — Death of Emilia Pia — Veronica
Gambara and Correggio's Magdalen — The Allegories
painted by Correggio for Isabella's Studio — Titian
visits Mantua and paints Isabella's portrait — Copy by
Rubens at Vienna .... 272-285

CHAPTER XXXVIII

1528-1529

Marriage of Ercole d'Este to Renee de France — Isabella
goes to Modena to receive the bride — Fetes at Ferrara
— Character of Renee — Isabella's regard for her niece
— Renee's sympathy with French and Italian reformers
— Isabella's toleration — Messibugo's Book of Ercole's
festival — Treaties of Barcelona and Cambray — Charles
V. lands at Genoa — Is entertained by the Duke of
Ferrara on his way to Bologna — Ferrante Gonzaga
marches against Florence — Isabella visits Solarolo —
Arrives at Bologna for the Congress — State entry of
Charles V. ..... 236-303

CHAPTER XXXIX

1529—1530

Illustrious visitors to Bologna — Veronica Gambara and the
humanists — Isabella's political objects — Ferrante Gon-
zaga seeks the hand of Isabella Colonna, who is already
wedded to Luigi Rodomonte — Favour shown to the
Marquis of Mantua — Francesco Sforza receives the in-
vestiture of Milan — Proclamation of universal peace —
Florence alone excluded from the League — Fetes and

xii CONTENTS

PAOB

balls at Christmas and Carnival — Cliarles V. receives
the iron crown of Lonibardy and the golden crown of
the Holy Roman Empire from the Pope's hands —
Coronation in San Petronio — The Duke of Ferrara
comes to Bologna, and is reconciled to the Pope 304^-322

CHAPTER XL

1530—1531

Charles V. at Mantua — The Marquis Federico created Duke,
and betrothed to the Infanta Giulia — Capture of Flor-
ence by Ferrante Gonzaga — Isabella goes to Venice —
Titian employed by the Duke to paint a Magdalen for
Vittoria Colonna — Death of Bonifazio, Marquis of Mon-
ferrato — Federico breaks off" his contract with Donna
Giulia, and asks for the hand of Maria di Monferrato —
Death of this Princess — Federico asks for her sister
Marjjherita's hand — Goes to Casale for the wedding —
Giulio Romano adds new rooms to the Castello — Isa-
bella superintends their decoration, and receives the
bride ...... 323-343

CHAPTER XLI

1531-1536

Isabella at Venice — Death of Margherita Cantelma — Mar-
riage of Ferrante Gonzaga — Duchess Margherita
Paleologa — Ariosto and Bernardo Tasso send the Mar-
chesa their poems — Visit of the Emperor Charles V.
to Mantua — Marriage and death of the Marquis of
Monferrato — His State annexed to Mantua — Birth of
a son to Duke Federico — Titian paints Isabella's por-
trait from the original by Francia . . 344-357

CHAPTER XLH

1531-1537

Relations of Isabella with Ferrara — Stabellino's letters —
Duchess Renee and her child Anna d'Este — Death of

CONTENTS xiii

PAOB

Duke Alfonso — Isabella's trip to the Lake of Garda —
Her favourite dwarfs — The government of Solarolo —
Leonora of Urbino — Her son Guidobaldo's marriage —
Manufacture of embroidered stuffs and caps at Mantua
— Isabella's majolica dinner services — Plates in the
Museo Correr and British Museum — Cardinal Gonzaga
sends his mother a medal of Aristotle — Her interest in
gardening — The gardens at Porto — Trissino begs the
help of her gardener at his villa of Cricoli . 358-373

CHAPTER XLIII

1537—1539

Visit of Leonora, Duchess of Urbino to Mantua — Titian's
portraits of the Duke and Duchess — Death of Fran-
cesco Maria — Of Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan — Of
Luigi Rodomonte and Antonia del Balzo — Visit of
Pietro Bembo — The collections of the Grotta — Paint-
ings and library of Isabella d'Este — Vittoria Colonna —
Last visit of Isabella d'Este to Ferrara — Her love for
her grandchildren — Duke Ercole lends her his palace
at Venice — Her last illness and death — Her tomb
in S. Francesco destroyed by the French — Death of
Duke Federico — The Mantuan collections sold and the
Castello sacked — Character of Isabella d'Este . 374-391

INDEX ,..,.. 393

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Isabella d'Este . . > . . . . Frontispiece

From the Portrait by Titian, in the Imperial Museum,
Vienna {Photogravure)

Sala. Castello di Mantova .... To face page 20

Leonora Gonzaga, Duchess of Urbino (La

Bella di Tiziano) ..... „ 128

From the Portrait by Titian in the Pltti Gallery [Photo-
gravure)

PoNTE San Giorgio ...,,, ,,146

Fresco or Ceiling. Sala Degli Sposi, Mantua ,, 172

By Andrea Mantegna

Paradiso. Castello di Mantova ... „ 206

Elisabetta Gonzaga, Duchess of Urbino , , „ 250

By G. Caroto

Count Baldassarre Castiglionk . • „ 272

From the Portrait by Raphael in the Louvre {Photo-
gravure)

Paradiso. Castello di Mantova ... ,, 378

ISABELLA D'ESTE

CHAPTER XXI

1502—1512

Cristoforo Romano's letters — Caradosso's cup and inkstand — Cristo-
foro in Rome — The Cupid of Praxiteles acquired for Isabella's
studio — Cristoforo at Naples — Isabella's medal shown to the
Queens — Cristoforo's love for Urbino — His death at Loreto —
Sabba da Castiglione, Knight of S. John — Sabba in Rhodes
— His passion for antiques and letters to Isabella — Travels in
the Isles of Greece — Antique marbles and medals sent to
Mantua — He returns to Italy and Avrites his memoirs.

Chief among the artists in Isabella's service who
were constantly helping her to acquire new treasures
for her studio was the sculptor Cristoforo Romano.
The incurable malady from which he suffered hindered
his own work and obliged him to seek frequent change
of air, but wherever he went he never forgot the
interests of his mistress, and his letters from Milan,
Bologna, and Rome abound in allusions to the antique
marbles and richly worked cups, gems, and medals
which he advised her to buy. In February 1502 we find
him at Venice enjoying the company of his friends
Michele Vianello and Lorenzo da Pavia. On his return
to Mantua he fell dangerously iU, and in August
Isabella's friend, Margherita Cantelma, invited the
Marchesa to send him to Ferrara to consult a clever
physician, Messer Sebastiano d' Aquila, who had cured

VOL. II. A

2 CRISTOFORO ROMANO

her husband, Meyser Sigismondo, and who promised
to restore him to healtli in a few days, offering to
receive him in her own house and nurse him herself.
After another bad attack in 1505 he went to stay at
Milan with Leonardo's friend, Marco della Torre, and
wrote several lively letters to the Marchesa describ-
ing the change which lie found at this once brilliant
court, and saying that the only house where you still
meet cultured men and women is that of Madonna
Margherita di San Severino, the sister of EmiUa Pia.
But the air has already done him good, and he is
busy ordering marbles and preparing designs for
the tomb of Suor Osanna. In July he wrote to tell
the Marchesa of a wonderful bowl in the shape of
a wine-cooler, which that rare artist Caradosso had
made of forty-nine pieces of crystal mounted on a
richly chased stand of silver-gilt and enamel, and which
she must have, because it will exactly match one
that is already in the Grotta. But she must on no
account let Caradosso know this till the bargain is
concluded, or the cunning old man will clap on
another 50 ducats. As it is, he asks a high price,
and has already refused an offer of 300 ducats from
Bishop Louis Gonzaga. When Cristoforo offered 400
in the Marchesa s name the goldsmith still hesitated,
but offered to bring it to Mantua himself, in order
that Her Excellency might see for herself that it was
not a matter in which an extra 50 ducats or so was
to be grudged. " But Caradosso," the sculptor adds,
"has also finished the most perfectly beautiful ink-
stand of this age or of any other. He asks 1000 ducats,
and if you had to give 10,000 I should advise you not
to let it go, because it is a thing absolutely unique." *

* A. Bertolotti, Artisti, &c. ; A, Venturi, Arch. St. d. Arte,i. Il6.

AT MILAN 8

Ten days later Crist of oro wrote a^ain to tell the
Marchesa that the Pope had invited him to Rome,
but that he hoped to finish his design before leaving
Milan, and wished to know exactly how much she
was prepared to spend on the monument. " As little
as possible I " he imagines, and proceeds to suggest a
sum of 150 ducats. For this he proposes to raise a
modest tomb with the saint's sleeping effigy under a
black marble canopy, crowned with bronze putti and
candelabra, and supported by four columns of white
Carrara marble, poUshed so as to look like silver.
This graceful design, which is reproduced in the Acta
Sanctorum of the BoUandists, met with general ap-
proval at Milan, and was taken to the Marchesa in
September by Caradosso when he set out on his
journey with the precious cup and inkstand. Mean-
while, late one evening, news reached Cristoforo that
his friend, Margherita Cantelma, was lying dangerously
ill at Mortara, some miles from Milan, and that her
doctor, Aquila, refused to go to her that night. " I
could have wished myself elsewhere ! " he wrote to
the Marchesa, " but. Madonna Margherita's life being
as dear to me as it is to you, I hastened to find
Aquila, and forced him by my importunity to ac-
company me to Mortara at midnight. There was no
moon, so we had only lanterns to guide us, and were
nearly drowned in the Ticino, and when at length we
reached Mortara we found the poor lady in a dying
state. But with great rapidity he mixed a potion,
which had the most marvellous effect and brought
her back from death to life, and we stayed with her
four days, until she was out of danger. Now we hear
that she is improving every day. She was only skin
and bones, poor lady I but she asked continually after

4 CARADOSSO'S INKSTAND

Your Signory, and when she was at the worst, kept
begging me to find some pretty present to send
you."

The Marchesa herself was ill of fever at the time,
but wrote on the 27th of September to thank
Cristoforo for his services, and tell him that she
had seen Caradosso and greatly admired the cup,
but found it too large for her studio, and was
hoping soon to see the inkstand, wliich was not
yet quite finished.^ " If you go to Rome," she adds,
" we hope you will present yourself to His HoUness,
and all others, as our servant and sculptor, which
you are, and will, I hope, always remain, knowing
that this does us great honour. And we are truly
glad to hear that change of air continues to do
you good."

It was now Cristoforo's turn to express his
concern at the Marchesa's illness ; and in a long
letter from Bologna he sent her greetings from Casio,
who was about to accompany him to Rome, and
told her of all the masses and prayers which he
had ordered to be offered up on her behalf. Isabella
replied in a long letter, written early in November,
shortly before the birth of her second son Ercole,
full of directions and messages to her friends in Rome.

" We are very glad to hear that you are on your
way to Rome, where we would rather see you than
in any other place, and we hope that you will serve
us as well there as you did at Milan, and will especi-
ally endeavour to find us some rare antiques from
the recent excavations, with which we may adorn

* Sig. Venturi states that Caradosso's inkstand, which Isabella
eventually purchased for her studio, is now in the Dreyfus col-
lection in Paris {op. cit.).

CRISTOFORO IN ROME 5

our studio. First of all you might see the sons of
Zampeluna, who has lately died, and has, we hear,
left many fine things which may suit us. And if
you have need of any help in obtaining these an-
tiques, you might present yourself as our servant
to the Cardinal di S. Prassede (Antonio Pallavicino),
who, out of love to us, will give you the help of
his authority. You can also confer with Brognolo,
who is at present in Rome. Let us know when you
have made any bargain, and we will send the money.
I knew you would be grieved to hear of our illness,
because of the love you bear us, and if you offered
prayers and vows to God for our health, they came
from a faithful and understanding soul, and were
well-pleasing to us. We are now recovering, by
God's grace, and are regaining strength every day.
Go in peace, with our best wishes for your health."

Soon after Cristoforo reached Rome, the Mantuan
agent, Lodovico Brognolo, informed Isabella that,
although he is aware her heart is set on antiques,
he is sending her a cameo, which Messer Zoan
Cristoforo has praised for its rare beauty, and for
which, by his advice, he has paid 20 ducats. Then
we hear of other treasures, bronzes and medals
and marbles, which have been dug up during the
recent excavations, and eventually find their way
to Mantua. " As I know Your Highness is anxious
to secure antiques to adorn your Grotta," writes
Fra Serafino, a clown who was in high favour both
at Mantua and Urbino, " I send you a marble figure,
which was lately dug up here. Your Excellency is
so learned in these things that you will, I am sure,
recognise its beauty and understand its meaning at
once, without sending for Zoan Cristoforo. And

6 THE CUPID OF PRAXITELES

I beg you to place it in your Grotta for my sake." *
Then Stazio Gadio, her son's tutor, tells her of a
head of Ariadne and a fine marble satyr, which have
been lately brought to light. Unfortunately Isabella
was compelled to decline these offers, sorely against
her will, having no money to spare, since she had
spent too much in building a new house ; although
she owned that, were she to see these antiquities, it
was quite possible they would please her so much that
she would have to keep them. 2 But in the course
of that autumn she did succeed in adding one antique
of rare beauty to her collection — a Cupid sleeping
on a hon's skin, which was ascribed to Praxiteles.
The precious marble belonged to Alessandro Bonatti,
and after a prolonged correspondence was ultimately
acquired by her agent, Brognolo, with the help of
Cardinal di S. Prassede, Duke Guidobaldo, and his
nephew, Francesco Maria. It was sent to Mantua
in December, and placed in the Grotta, where De
Thou saw it when he visited the Castello in 1573,
and pronounced it to be still more beautiful than
the famous Cupid of Michel Angelo. A tradition
indeed was current at Mantua in those days that
Michel Angelo himself, conscious of the superiority
of the Greek marble, begged the Marchesa always
to show his Cupid to visitors before they were allowed
to see the genuine antique. Cristoforo Romano,
who took a keen interest in the Roman excavations,
and was present with Michel Angelo when the Laocoon
was discovered in the bed of the Tiber, praised this
Cupid as one of the finest things which he had seen,
in a very interesting letter which he wrote to Isabella
on the 1st of December.

^ Luzio e Ilenier, Mantova e Urbino, p. l68.
* D'Arco, Arle e Artejici, ii. 77.

ROMAN ANTIQUES 7

" Illustrious Lady mine, — This morning I pre-
sented your letter with much pleasure to the Cardinal
di S. Prassede, delivering it with my own hands,
and he spoke very warmly of you, and made me
all manner of offers in your name, for which I thanked
him sincerely. Only he is so old that he will hardly
be able to do much more for us. Thank God I
am keeping well, and live happy under the shadow
of Your Excellency's protection, which follows me
all over the world. Yesterday I kissed the feet of
His Holiness and saluted him in your name, which
pleased him greatly. He sends you his best thanks,
and will attend to your wishes, of which I informed
him ; but, as he was engaged with these Cardinals,
I could not say anything more to him. Since then
I have been spending my time in revisiting the
remains of ancient Rome. So many 'fine things'
have been discovered since I was here last that I
am dumbfoundered at the sight. Here many people
take interest in these matters, so that it has become
very difficult to get the best things, unless you are
the fii'st to see them and ready to pay well, as
they soon fetch large prices. I must go and see a
bronze relief worked in silver, which I hear is very
fine, and which, it seems to me. Your Highness
might hke. I will strike the bargain if I can, be-
cause it would be an ornament worthy of any place.
And I will keep my eyes open, and have already
told the excavators to let me know, before any one
else, if they find a really good antique, and I will
lose no opportunity of serving you. But, if Your
Excellency comes to Rome this carnival, I am sure
many fine presents will be given you, and here your
coming is awaited with the utmost eagerness. I

8 MEDAT.S AND STATUES

have already told several Cardinals that you are
coming to Rome without fail, and I know they will
give you so warm a welcome, and you will be so
happy, and this place and everything here will
please you so well, that you vnll grieve to leave
it, and will often wish to return, and this for many
reasons. Because, in the first place, you will find
sweet and pleasant company, most of all that of
Madonna Felice, the Pope's daughter, a most charm-
ing lady, of rare intellect and goodness, very fond
of antiques, of letters, and of all good works, and
a devoted slave of Your Highness, as she has often
told me. I rejoice to hear of your fine boy. Thank
God your illness has ended so happily I Be of good
cheer, dear lady, and may God give you much joy
in your children. I repeat that the Cupid which
Brognolo has secured for you is a most rare and
excellent thing, and I swear, by the God I adore,
that if it had been bought for any one but Your
Highness it should never have left Rome. In old
days, when I was a boy, I used all my power and
skill to prevent such things going to the Cardinal
of Aragon and Lorenzo dei Medici, because it grieved
me then, as it still grieves me to-day, to see Rome
stripped of all its treasures. And there are few such
marbles left here now. But for Your Excellency's
sake I would do anything, and care for nothing
else in the world as long as I am able to please
you. — Your servant, Zoan Cristoforg Romano."^
Cristoforo's description of the rage for antiques
which prevailed at the time in Rome, and of the
difficulty of securing any really good work at a
reasonable price, is confirmed by another of Isabella's

^ A. Venturi, op. cit.

THE HERCULES OF THE BELVEDERE 9

correspondents, a Greek scholar, Giorgio diNegroponto,
whom she had also commissioned to send her some
beautiful thing for the Grotta. " Although, in truth,"
he writes to the Marchesa on the 19th of May 1507,
" nothing is left of ancient Rome but her immortal
name, with some ruins and fragments of statues,
whenever I see something of rare excellence I wish
for the magician's wand to waft it to my dear lady.
If it costs me my life, I will manage to send some
beautiful antique, but indeed, Madama mia, this is
a work of great difficulty. For, if such a thing is
found, there are in a moment so many buyers in
the market that it needs a miracle to secure it. I
hear of men buying finely worked medals, covered
with rust, for 8 or 10 ducats, and seUing them for
25 or 30, and sometimes they lose, and at other
times they make money. Not four days ago a
man bought a medal of Nero for 6 ducats, and after
cleaning it could have sold it for 12 ducats, but
would not take less than 25. Last Saturday a
Roman, who was digging in his garden in the Campo
di Fiori, found a Hercules clad in the hon's skin,
holding a club in the right hand, and in the left a
boy of four years old. Phsedrus (the learned Cardinal
Inghirami, whose portrait was painted by Raphael)
says that the statue is not a Hercules at all, but
represents the Emperor Commodus. It was taken
to the Vatican the day after it had been dug up, and
I hear that His Holiness has given the lucky finder
a benefice worth 130 ducats a year."

This statue of Hercules and Telephus, or Commo-
dus with the attributes of Hercules, as it is sometimes
called, is still one of the ornaments of the Belvedere
Museum, where it was placed by Pope Julius. Three

10 PTIACTICAT. JOKES

months later, this same Cioifrio offered Isabella an
antique pavement of porphyry, serpentine, and other
coloured marbles, but we do not hear if she was
able to pay for it, gladly as she would have obtained
it for her Grotta/

Unfortunately Isabella's wish to visit Rome was
once more disappointed. Several years passed away,
and her friend, the sculptor, had long been in his
grave, when she at length saw the wonders of the
Eternal City. On the very day that she received
Mantegna's Faustina, she wrote joyfully to tell
Cristoforo, who fully appreciated the value of her
latest acquisition. " We think you have heard,*' she
wrote on the 5th of August 1506, "how we secured
M. Vianello's agate vase and painting of Pharaoh,
and now we have also obtained possession of the
Faustina of M. Andrea Mantegna. So, little by
little, we are forming a studio of our own. Be stil]
on the look-out for any antiques, bronzes, medals, of
other excellent things, and let us know their prices
quickly, but in any case buy the medals, and we
will not fail to send the money." ^

This paragraph forms the postscript to a long
letter which the Marchesa devotes to one of those
practical jokes which these great ladies were fond of
playing on their courtiers. In this case, the person
m question was Bernardo Accolti, the brilliant
improvisatore known as TUnico Aretino, whose
popularity was so great in Rome that the shops
were shut and the streets deserted when he began
to recite. This eccentric poet professed the most
extravagant adoration for the Duchess of Urbino,

1 Luzio in Arch. St. Lomb., 1886, p. 9*.
" A. Venturi, Arch. St. d. Arte, i. 151.

L'UNICO ARETINO 11

while his excessive vanity exposed him to frequent
attacks from the wits and jesters at her court.^ On
this occasion Isabella had desired Cristoforo Romano
to give the poet one of her portrait medals when he
saw him at Fossombrone, on his way to Rome, but
the Duchess, by way of teasing her adorer, begged
the sculptor only to show him the Marchesa's medal
and tell him that he could not spare a replica. As
EUsabetta expected, the Aretine's jealousy was
greatly excited when he found how many of these
medals had been distributed in Rome and Urbino
among Isabella's friends, and he filled both courts
with bitter complaints. At length the Duchess
began to think it was time to put an end to his
delusion, and Isabella sent Cristoforo a letter feign-
ing the utmost displeasure at his forgetfulness in
neglecting to give the Aretine her medal. In a
postscript she privately begged him to let the poet
see this fictitious document, in order to save EHsa-
betta's reputation, and prevent the spoilt favourite
from discovering the trick which had caused every
one else so much amusement. This was only one
of many similar pieces of fooling in which both
these wise and middle-aged princesses took dehght,
and which the extravagant adulation of the Aretine's
language and sentiments provoked. The cruelty of
the traitress of Urbino and the fascinating wiles of
the siren of Mantua — " la ficatella delta Marchesana
e la giotoncella de la Duchessa di TJrhino^'' as he
presumed to style these illustrious ladies — were the
perpetual themes of the letters and verses which he
addressed to his patrons, and which they accepted
and answered in the same singular strain.

1 Dennistoun, op. cit., vol. ii. p. 63.

12 ISABETJ.A'S MEDAL

Another replica of the Marchesa's medal which
Cristolbro Romano took with him to Naples in the
autumn of 1507, was given by her orders to her
husband's faithful secretary, Jacopo d'Atri, who had
long been absent from Mantua, on a diplomatic
mission to Ferdinand the Catholic, and who welcomed
this gift with heartfelt joy.

" Zoan Cristoforo," he wrote to Isabella on the
24th of October, " your devoted servant, is here, and
has given me a medal of Your Excellency, which is
infinitely beautiful, as you are yourself. He tells me
that he has shown it as a divine thing to all these
Queens, who looked at it with the greatest admira-
tion. The Queen Consort saw it before she went to
Spain, and seemed as if she could never be tired of
looking at it, saying that, besides rare beauty of
feature, it showed signs of great intelligence, which
agreed with the reputation you possessed when she
Hved in France and made her exceedingly anxious
to meet you." This was Germaine de Foix, the
second wife of Ferdinand the CathoHc, who had been
brought up at the French court. The other illus-
trious ladies then present at Naples were Isabella's
aunt, Beatrice, the widowed Queen of Hungary ; her
cousin, Isabella, Duchess of Milan ; and the daughters
of Gonsalvo de Cordova, Viceroy of Naples. " All
the others who saw your portrait praised it in the
highest terms, especially the gallant and gracious
daughters of the Great Captain, who, after looking at
it again and again a thousand times over, kissed the
beautiful medal, saying that they too had often heard
of your talents and virtues. I asked Zoan Cristoforo
which of aU these great ladies would like to have a
similar medal best, and he replied that all of them had

ADMIRED AT NAPLES 13

praised it in the same glowing terms, but that those
who had the best judgment gave it the highest
praise. Above all, the fair and gallant daughters
of the Great Captain seemed to wish exceedingly to
possess such an effigy of Your Highness. Since
Zoan Cristoforo has been here, he has also made a
medal of the Duchess of Milan, which is very beauti-
ful, and has a very skilfully wrought veil, but only
the face and head are finished as yet. Besides this,
he has made another of the Pope, which is very like
him, but which people care for less, as he is old and
ugly. But the reverse — two figures offering a
sacrifice — is admirable, and may be compared, in
the judgment of the best critics, to a fine antique.
I feel sure that it will please Your Highness, whose
servant he always remains. To-day he goes to Rome
with the Cardinal of Aragon." ^

After spending the next two years in Rome and
Urbino, where he was always a welcome guest,
Cristoforo went to the Santa Casa of Loreto, where
Pope Julius employed him to rebuild the Campanile
of this famous Basihca, and to continue the works
which Bramante had begun. He still wrote lively
letters to his friend Bembo at the Court of Urbino,
*' the temple of virtue and chastity," where his happiest
days had been spent, and sent affectionate greetings
to the Duchess and Emilia Pia. And both Isabella
and her brother, Cardinal d'Este, exerted themselves
to obtain a rich benefice which he coveted. But his
health failed rapidly, and he died in IMay 1512, leaving
to the notary who made his will his copy of Bembo's
Asolani as his most precious possession. Casio wrote
a Latin epitaph for his tomb at Loreto, and Isabella

^ Venturi, op. cit.

14 FRA SABBA DA CASTIGLIONE

lamented liim as a true friend and loyal servant, as well
as one of the most brilliant and accomplished artists
of her court.

There was another cultivated gentleman, the
Knight of S. John, Fra Sabba da Castiglione, a
kinsman of Baldassarre, and an intimate friend of
Cristoforo Romano, who corresponded frequently
with Isabella on those subjects which interested
her so deeply. Born in 1484 at Milan, Fra Sabba
had known Cristoforo and Lorenzo da Pavia at
the Sforzas' court, and remembered Niccolo da
Correggio as the finest gentleman of his day. On
his way to join the Knights of his Order in the island
of Rhodes, in May 1505, he paid a visit to Mantua
and promised the charming Marchesa to send her
some of the choice antiques that were daily being
brought to light in the isles of Greece. During the
three years which he spent on this barren island, far
from his "sweet friends and dearly loved Italy," he
devoted himself loyally to this task in spite of many
difficulties. There were, as he told her, in Rhodes,
especially in the garden of the Grand Master, many
excellent sculptures lying despised and uncared for,
exposed to wind and rain, which made him feel as if
the bones of his father were unburied. But when he
expressed his feelings in a sonnet, which he hung
round the neck of a statue, the Knights of other
nationaUties, " of whom," he remarks, " the less said
the better," declared that he was an idolater, like
all Italians, and he found it wise to hold his peace.
Under these circumstances Fra Sabba advised
the Marchesa to ask Monseigneur de Chaumont,
the French Viceroy of Milan, who was a nephew
of the Grand Master, to beg his uncle to

HIS LETTERS FROM RHODES 15

send him some Greek statues and other antiquities.
She might further suggest that, as His Reverence
was no doubt occupied with affairs of greater im-
portance, he should desire the Italian Era Sabba da
Castiglione to undertake this commission. Only,
the Marchesa must on no account allow it to appear
that the suggestion proceeds from Sabba himself.
" For in this case," wrote the young Knight, ** I shall
be handed over as a pagan and heretic to the Inqui-
sition, who will promptly reduce me to smoke and
ashes ! Such, alas ! is the folly and malevolence of
ignorant men ! " ^

In his lonely exile the poor young scholar thought
sadly of the happy days that he had spent at Milan
and Mantua, and begged to be affectionately remem-
bered to Messer Marchetto, the famous singer, and
Messer Fedele, the goldsmith. His own literary
pursuits, he tells Isabella, are all in abeyance. His
collection of epitaphs, which was to be dedicated to
the Marchesa, remains unfinished, and he can make
but little progress with a new work on Chivalry, in
which he is attempting to draw the portrait of a good
and perfect knight according to his own ideas. But at
least he can discuss the subject with the Castilian
Knights of his Order, who know, or think they know,
a great deal on the subject. But Mars, with his
horrid trumpet, is ever calling him to arms, and the
hand which once held the pen must now handle sword
and lance. For an attack from the Turk is daily
expected, and the gallant Knights are making ready
and await his coming with devotion and courage.

Meanwhile his one solace, he tells his dear lady,

1 Leltere inedite di Fra Sabba da Castiglione ; Luzio, Arch. St.
Lomb., 1886, p. 99.

16 HIS ACADEMY

is that he has founded a new Academy, on a strange
Parnassus if you will — with no magnificent halls or
golden portico, and no well-cultivated gardens gay
with flowers, but on the barren sea-shore, where the
waves dash against the rocks and the winds howl with
ceaseless fury. Here he recites tragedies, comedies,
eclogues, and satires to the music of the wild waves,
and if a hoarse raven should chance to alight on the
rocks and lend an attentive ear to his recitation, he
counts himself most fortunate and marks the day
with a white stone. " So life goes with a man doomed
to spend his days among barbarians I But perhaps,"
he adds, " Fortune, the strong goddess, is keeping me
for better times." There are gleams of sunshine too
in his dreary life, as when, in the month of May, he
goes for a summer sail to the Cyclades and sees the
birthplace of so many divine heroes. He visits
Delos, the home of Apollo and Diana, but could
weep to see the broken columns and infinite number
of marble statues, carved by the finest chisels, lying
on the ground, and longs in vain to bear away these
priceless fragments to adorn his lady's Grotta. All
he can send her are his medals, which he wraps
up in a sonnet written amid the ruins of the temple,
so that at least she may be able to say that her
collection boasts some antiques from the home of
Apollo.^

At length, after eighteen weary months, the long-
desired letter from Monseigneur de Chaumont arrived,
and was duly presented to the Grand Master. The
Marchesa had acted with her habitual dexterity, and
ere long His Most Reverend Signory gave Fra Sabba
gracious permission to search for ancient marbles and

1 Luzio, op. cit., pp. 100-105.

THE MAUSOLEUM 17

send them by ship to Venice. The poor Knight
was in the seventh heaven ! Now at length he may
roam at will through the island, seeking out new
treasures with the eyes of Argus, without fear of being
branded as a heretic or idolater. But there are still
two perilous shoals to be avoided. One is the danger
of the treasures falling into the hands of a certain
Knight of the Order at Venice, who may detain them
longer than is convenient ; the other, that they should
be sent to Milan. For, although Monseigneur de
Chaumont, being of French race and a native of a
barbarous country, cares httle for such things — unless,
indeed, it were a head of Father Bacchus, the god of
wine I — there are many good antiquaries in Milan
who know the true value of these precious fragments.
So he takes advantage of the visit of a Parma
traveller, who is on his way home, to send Isabella
two heads of Amazons from the newly discovered
Tomb at Hahcarnassus, erected, it is said, by Arte-
misia in honour of her husband Mausolus, as well
as a marble statuette — without head or limbs, alas !
but with the finest draperies — from the Isle of
Naxos. "And although it is sadly mutilated," he
adds, " I beg Your Signory to take it with a glad
heart and serene brow, for I think it will not dis-
please Andrea Mantegna nor my own Zoan Cristo-
foro, if these two are still present in human form
among us." But when Fra Sabba's letter {ex clara
R/wdo) was written, on the 16th of April 1507,
Cristoforo had already gone to Rome, and Messer
Andi-ea had been dead many months.

These things, "contrary to their custom," as
Sabba remarks, reached their destination safely, and
brought him a grateful letter from the Marchesa,

VOL. II. B

18 HE PLANS ITS REMOVAL

" that happy Madonna who shines as the sun among
the smaller stars." Unluckily, his search for antiques
was interrupted by a serious illness, and when he was
about to land at Halicarnassus, after a two months'
cruise, in the depth of winter, the sudden appearance
of twenty armed Turkish galleys forced him to beat
a retreat, without ever seeing the noble Tomb which
was the object of his journey. When he suggested
that the Grand Master should present Isabella with a
marble sea-god clasping a nymph in his arms, which
had lately been sent him from Halicarnassus, His
Reverence repUed, " like a person of little knowledge
in these matters, that he could not send so insignifi-
cant a figure to so great a lady, and I dared say no
more," adds Sabba, "for the least contradiction
makes him as difficult to handle as a prickly
broom." Another marble vase, on which Sabba
also had his eye, was, unluckily, converted by the
same dignitary into a wine-cooler, so that all he
could send Isabella that time was a bundle of a
sweet-scented wood called calamus, "which takes a
most beautiful polish, and would make a fine lyre or
viol in the hands of any good instrument maker."
But in his secret soul, as he tells his dear lady, he
cherishes a magnificent dream, which, if carried
out, would give her glorious city a new splendour.
This is nothing less than the removal to Mantua of
the noble and celebrated Tomb lately discovered at
Halicarnassus. He has already spoken to the captain of
an Italian ship and a Cremona engineer, both of whom
assure him this could easily be managed, at compara-
tively small expense. But before this splendid dream
could be carried into execution, the leave of absence
arrived, for which Fra Sabba had so long pined

BUT IS RECALLED TO ROME 19

and he left Rhodes with joy, only regretting that he
had never seen Artemisia's Mausoleum.

Before his departure, he obtained the Grand
Master's leave to send the marble sea-god to Mantua,
and managed to smuggle a marble head from Chios
and another fine fragment from Delos among his own
baggage.

In July 1508, Fra Sabba reached Rome after his
three years' exile, and to his great joy was invited to
enter the service of the Vicar- General of his Order
in that city. He remained in Rome till 1516, when
he was appointed Prior of a house of Knights of
S. John near Faenza. Here he lived till an
advanced old age, enjoying books and leisure, and
writing the Eicordi, in which he describes himself as
" a poor Knight, whose little studio is adorned with a
head of St. John Baptist by Donatello and a St.
Jerome in alabaster by a Lombard master, the finest
I have ever seen, and can also boast several intar-
siatura pictures by Fra Damiano da Bergamo." ^

Here he received visits fi'om Cardinal Bembo and
many of his old friends, and in 1529 had the honour
of entertaining His HoUness Pope Clement VII.
when he came to crown the Emperor Charles V.
at Bologna. Fra Sabba sent Isabella the antiques
which he had brought from Rhodes, as soon as he
landed in Italy, but we never learn if he saw the
Marchesa again.

1 Luzio op. cit. ; Peluso in Arch. St. Lomb., 1876, p. 370.

CHAPTER XXII

1501—1510

Isabella's library in the Grotta — Her relations with Aldo Manuzio —
Letters of Lorenzo da Pa via and of Aldo — The Aldine editions
of classics — Isabella's letters to Aldo — He is thrown into prison
on Mantuan territory — Letter of the Emperor Maximilian to
Isabella on his behalf — Death of Aldo Manuzio — Lorenzo
da Pavia's last letters to Isabella — His journey to Rome and
death.

Besides paintings, antiques, and medals, the Grotta
of the Corte Vecchia contained the choicest treasures of
Isabella d'Este's library, safely kept on shelves under
lock and key. Here were placed those rare manuscripts
of Greek and Latin authors which she loved to col-
lect, the French and Spanish romances in which she
took so much pleasure, and the richly illuminated and
sumptuously bound volumes of original poems pre-
sented to her by hving writers, and dedicated to her
in flowery epistles.

" Ask Maddalena for the key of the Grotta," she
wrote from Milan, in the summer of 1514, to Gian
Giacomo Calandra, " and take the Car cere d'Amore ^
out of my hbrary and send it to me here." Again,
two years earUer, her friend the Venetian patrician.
Carlo Francesco Valerio, wrote to beg for the Joan of
the Marchesa's two editions of the Cento Novclle, one
of which he had seen in the Grotta, the other in M.
Giacomo Calandra's Camerino."

1 The Spanish romance, La Carcel d'Amor, by Diego di San Pedro.
8 Yriarte, Gazette d. B. Arts, 1895.

20

[Pholo, rrcin!, Muiitii,

SALA. CASTELLO 1)1 .MAXTOVA.

[Tojacc p. 20, vol. u.

ISABELLA'S LIBRARY 21

Calandra, one of the most cultivated among the
younger Mantuan scholars, acted as librarian for the
Marchesa, and afterwards succeeded his father in the
office of Castellan. In 1516, he wrote to her in
great concern, saying that while he was ill in bed the
lock of the Hbrary had been broken open, and several
volumes taken out of the shelves, while the others
were left in such confusion that it was difficult to
open the doors without hurting the books.^

In July 1501, Isabella wrote to her agent Trotti :
" We wish to have the works of all the best authors
to adorn our studio." This same year she was able to
enrich her collection with the first of those famous
editions of classical authors that were being printed at
Venice by Aldo Manuzio.

On the 8th of July 1501, she wrote to Lorenzo to
inquire about the Virgil which was the first of the
series, and had appeared in April : " Some Virgils
printed in a small size, with minute and almost itahc
type, have lately been brought here for sale, and
please me very much. I hear that the works of
Petrarch and Ovid are also to be published, and
should like to have them both in parchment."

A fortnight later, Lorenzo sent his mistress the
following letter in reply : —

" Most illustrious Madonna, — I saw by your last
letter that you wished me to send you the three
books, i.e. Virgil, Petrarch, and Ovid, in parchment,
and so I went at once to the house of Maestro Aldo,
who prints these books in a small form and in the
finest italic type that you ever saw. It is he who
printed the fiist Greek books, and he is a very dear
friend of mine. At present only Virgil is to be

1 Luzio e Renier in Giorn. St. d. Lett., xxxiii. 5.

22 THE ALDTNE CLASSICS

had in parchment, so I send it you herewith. The
Petrarch is not yet finished, but they tell me it will
be ready in about ten days. As yet they have only
printed about fifteen copies on this paper, and have
already bound them. This has been owing to the
dearth of parchment, as they have great difficulty in
obtaining the small amount required for the Virgils
as well as for the Petrarchs. But Your Signoria shall
have Petrarch, which is not yet bound. M. Aldo
has promised me to choose a copy for you leaf by
leaf, so that yours shall be the finest of all, and the
said Maestro will do this all the more gladly because
he has been helped in his work by M. Pietro Bembo,
who is most devoted to Your Signoria. He it is
who has had these poems printed from a manuscript
which Petrarch wrote with his own hand, and which
I also have held in my hand. It belongs to a Paduan,
and is so precious that they have printed the book
letter by letter, after the original, with the greatest
possible care. As soon as it is finished I will send it
to you, as they wish yours to be the first that appears,
and hold this to be of good omen, and feel sure the
work will obtain a great success since Your Excellency
will have had the first copy. After the Petrarch,
Dante will be printed, in the same shape and type,
and after Dante, Ovid, which I think they will begin
towards the end of September, but the Dante in
about twenty days ; and I beg you to seek for some
goat-skin paper, which should be clear and very white
and fine and even, not thick in one place and thin in
another, because formerly I have seen beautiful paper
in Mantua. The great difficulty is to find good paper
for the Dante and Ovid. They will be of the same
size as the Petrarch, with the slieet whole. Your

VIRGIL AND PETRARCH 23

Highness may trust me to do my utinost. I mean
you to have something as rare and incomparable as
Your Most Excellent Highness herself. And nothing
in the world pleases me more than to obey your
orders, remembering the kindness which you have
ever shown me. The Virgil and Petrarch, they say,
will cost no less than 3 ducats apiece. — Your servant,
Lorenzo da Pa via." ^ Venice, July 26, 1501.

The Marchesa was delighted to think of the
honour that Maestro Aldo was about to pay her,
and wrote back to say she was eagerly expecting the
Virgil, which, however, her servant Franceschino had
been unable to bring, and promised to send to Parma
for the fine carta pecora, of which there was none in
Mantua. True to his word, on the 3rd of August
Lorenzo sent his mistress the promised Petrarch,
unbound, saying he has no doubt she will prefer to
cover it with some precious material and adorn it
with silver clasps. But he has lately seen, in the
hands of a merchant who has just arrived from
Flanders, the finest binding and silver clasps in the
world, and has obtained a promise from him that he
will take a Virgil and Petrarch with him to Flanders
to be bound in the same fashion and return them
before Christmas. The Marchesa eagerly accepted
the merchant's offer, and her two copies of Petrarch
were sent to be bound in Flanders. But, instead of
sending them back at Christmas, the Flemish binder
kept them till Whitsuntide, and Lorenzo confessed
that he was not altogether satisfied with the suc-
cess of his experiment. " I send Your Excellency

^ Baschet, Aide Manuce ; A. F. Didot, Aide Manuce et I'Hellen-
isme a Venise, p. 170; also A. Luzio in Giorn. St. d. Lett., vol.
xxxiii. p. 18, for the correct text.

24 AN EPISTI.E OF ALDO

the two Petrarchs which were bound in Flanders.
They might, it seems to me, have been better finished,
but, to say the truth, I am in the habit of thinking
that a thing for you is never so perfect but that it
might be still more so." But, whatever Isabella
thought of the binding, she was charmed with the
books themselves. These exquisite editions, printed
in handy httle volumes on the finest of paper, exactly
suited her fine taste. In November 1502, she ordered
another Petrarch and Dante, and by degrees the
whole series issued by the Aldine press found their
way into her library. A beautiful little copy of the
Virgil printed in July 1501, bound in dark green and
gold morocco, with illuminated capitals and margins,
is still preserved in the British Museum. It belonged
to Isabella's second son. Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga,
and bears the date 1527, in his own handwriting.

In 1503, the great printer himself wrote straight
to Isabella, begging her to intercede with her husband
for a certain Federico Ceresara, a Mantuan by birth,
who had killed his own brother in a fit of rage, and
had been in prison for this crime during two years, to
the great distress of the unhappy mother, who was
thus deprived of both her sons. The request was
granted, and, partly out of gratitude to the Marchesa,
but still more in token of his admiration for her love
of letters, Aldo sent her a new volume which he
published in July 1504, with the following epistle in
elegant Latin : —

"Aldus to Isabella, Princess of Mantua, sends
greeting. .During these last days I received a visit
from Battista Scalona [the Marquis's secretary, whom
Isabella had sent to Venice, and charged to bring back
Bellini's Presepio with him] — a youth distinguished

TO ISABELLA 25

by his rare learning. As we conversed together, we
spoke of you, and naturally dwelt on the favour shown
to all scholars and men of excellence by Your Majesty,
who are yourself as learned as you are saintly and
virtuous. My respect and admiration for you is now
even greater than it was before, and I desire, as soon
as possible, to render you a further act of homage
by dedicating one of my books to Your Majesty.
Meanwhile, allow me to send you as a gift the Life
of Apollonius of Tyana, with the Tract of Eusebius
against Hierocles in Greek and Latin, and the verses
of Gregory Nazianzen in a Latin translation, which
have been lately published by me and are not un-
worthy to be read by you, hoping they will please
Your Majesty. And, although I know they are not
worthy to come into your divine hands in their
present unadorned condition, I send them none the
less, encouraged by my dear Scalona and trusting to
your indulgence, since, as you are aware, those who
have no incense to offer on the altar of the Gods are
allowed to bring milk, salt, and flour. They will at
least be a token of my respect for Your Majesty."^

On the 16th of May 1505, Isabella begged Aldo
to send her copies of all the Latin books which he
had printed in this small edition, excepting the Virgil,
which she had already. " And when you print fresh
volumes," she adds, " do not forget to print some on
fine paper for us, and that as quickly as possible.
Please let us know the price, and we will send you
the money at once."

Aldo replied on the 23rd : " I have received
Your Excellency's letter saying that you wish to
have all my little books on vellum. At present I

^ Baschet, Aide Manuce.

26 AI.DINE EDITIONS

only have these: Martial, Catullus, Tibullus, Pro-
peilius, unbound, and Horace, with Juvenal and
Pcrsius, bound and illuminated. If Your Highness
pleases, I will send you these immediately. As to
the future, I will obey Your Illustrious Highness's
commands." ^

But the insatiable Marchioness still asked for
more. On the 27th she wrote again : " Messer
Aldo, — You would give us singular pleasure if you
would send us a copy of all your little editions
on vellum, not bound, like the Petrarch, which is
exceptionally fine ; and if they suit us, we will send
you the money, and, if not, return them at once. If
you will do this, we should be infinitely obhged.
Remember, whenever you print any more works in
this form, always to print one for us on vellum, as
we have written before."

On the 9th of June, Aldo sent Isabella all the
books which he had in stock printed on vellum, by
the hands of a kinsman of his wife, Giovanni d'Asola,
with a note informing her of their different prices.
" Martial, Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, and Lucan un-
bound ; Horace, Juvenal, and Persius bound together,
with illuminated capitals. This last volume is priced
at 6 ducats, or at least 4." Martial, " 4 ducats, or at
least 3." Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, "3 ducats,
or at least 2j " ; and Lucan, " 3 ducats, or at least 2^."
But, much as Isabella liked the books, she did not
choose to give the price which Aldo asked. She
sent them back on the 30th of June, with the follow-
ing curt note : —

" M. Aldo, — The four volumes on vellum which
you have sent us, are pronounced by every one who

1 D'Arco, Arch. St. It., App. ii. 312.

ARREST OF ALDO 27

has seen them, to be twice as dear as they ought to
be. We have given them back to your messenger,
who does not deny the truth of this, but excuses
you, saying that your partners will not take less.
All the same, when you print any more, at a fair
price, and on finer paper, with more careful correc-
tions, we shall be glad to see them, and hope still
to be served by you."^

A fortnight later a strange adventure befell the
great printer on Mantuan territory. On the 17th of
July 1506, as he and Federico Ceresara were return-
ing from Milan, where Aldo had been examining
certain manuscripts before he undertook the publica-
tion of Virgil's smaller poems, they were arrested at
Castelromano on the Mantuan frontier. Federico
fled, and managed to cross a river near Asola on
foot, leaving his horse and a bag containing Aldo's
clothes and precious manuscripts in the hands of the
Mantuan sentries.^ Two thieves had, it appears,
lately escaped from prison, and the soldiers took
Aldo and his companion for the missing criminals.
In vain the scholar protested that he was Aldo
Romano, the printer of Venice, a person well known
both to the Marquis and Marchioness of Mantua, and
honoured by the favour of the Emperor Maximilian.
He was thrown into a damp and pestilential
dungeon, where he languished during four days,
unable to discover the reason of his arrest, when, as
he remarked in the letter which he addressed to the
Marquis, " he ought rather to have been protected on
Mantuan territory than ill-treated, since he was en-

^ A. Baschet, Aide Manuce ; A. F, Didot, Aide Manuce et
FHellenisme a Venise, pp. 275, 276.

2 Luzio in Giom. St. Lett. It., vi. 276.

28 MAXIMILIAN'S LETTER

gaged in seeking to bring new glory to the Mantuan
poet, Virgil." lUit the officers of justice were deaf to
his appeals, and it needed the powerful intercession of
the Venetian Governor of Asola, of the French Vice-
Chancellor of Milan, and of Aldo's old pupil and patron,
Alberto Pio of Carpi, who was fortunately at Mantua
that week, before his release could be finally effected.
On the 25th of July, having at length recovered
his freedom, he addressed a reproachful letter to the
Marquis, saying : '* If I had remained two days more
in the horrid place where I was shut up, I must have
died. But, thank God, I see in this grievous injury
a punishment for my old sins against Heaven." The
Marquis, to do him justice, sent the printer a full
and ample apology for the unfortunate mistake which
so nearly cost the great scholar his life, and restored
Aldo's manuscripts and clothes, with renewed assur-
ances of his favour. Isabella was at Sacchetta at the
time, owing to the plague, and probably never heard
of Aldo's imprisonment until he was set at liberty.
But when, four years later, the wars of the League
of Cambray desolated Venetian territory, and forced
Aldo to suspend his works, she proved a good friend
to him, and was able to restore his wife's property at
Asola, which had been confiscated by the Mantuan
authorities. On this occasion, the Emperor Maxi-
milian addressed a Latin letter to the Marchesa, who
was governing Mantua during her husband's imprison-
ment at Venice, recommending " our dear and faithful
servant, Aldo Roip .no," to her favourable notice, and
expressing his conviction that the gi-eat printer was
equally beloved by her on account of the splendid
services which he has rendered to letters.^

^ A. F. Didot, op. cit.

A CLAVICHORD FOR POPE LEO 29

Messer Aldo died in 1515. His friend Lorenzo
da Pavia only survived him two years, and kept up
an active correspondence with Isabella to the end of
his life. In March 1514, he wrote to tell her of the
fine clavichord which he had just finished for Pope
Leo X., and which he was about to take to Rome
himself.

" Most illustrious Madonna, — Your Highness
must forgive me if your instrument is not yet ready,
but I have been very busy and have had much anxiety.
However, I am still alive, and know my illustrious
lady wiU be glad to hear that I have finished the
large and splendid clavichord which was ordered by
Pope Leo, and is eagerly desired by His Holiness.
It is ready now, and I hope after Easter to go to
Rome with the said instrument. It really is the
finest instrument that I have ever made. Here
indeed is true harmony ! What a joy it would be if
only you could hear it ! I enclose a copy of certain
verses which are carved in Roman letters on the said
instrument. One set was composed by Navagero,
the other by Zoan Aurelio, but I have chosen those of
Navagero, as they seem to me the most appropriate.
When I am in Rome, I will do my best to find some
fine antiques for Your Highness." ^

Lorenzo's journey to Rome finally took place in
June. Before his departure he wrote to tell the
Marchesa that he was intending to visit her daughter,
Leonora, the young Duchess of Urbino, on the way,
and congratulated her on the birth of her grandson,
which had taken place on the 2nd of April.^

" In a few days' time I hope to go to Rome, and

1 Dr. Carlo dell'Acqua, Lorenzo Gusnasco da Pavia, p. 26.

2 LitU Famiglie ; Dennistoun. " Dukes of Urbino," vol. iii. 82.

30 DEATH OF LORENZO GUSNASCO

intend to stop at Urbino and pay my respects to
our illustrious Duchess. I rejoice sincerely with
Your Highness over the birth of her son, and her
good health. And I am taking her several fine
things, as well as those which you ordered. Fare-
well. — Your Lorenzo of Pa via." June 1514.

We do not hear whether Lorenzo was still in
Rome that autumn when the Marchesa paid her first
visit to the Eternal City, but no doubt she saw the
wonderful instrument which he had made for her old
friend, Pope Leo X. Two years afterwards we learn
from a little note which the Marchesa addressed
during a brief absence from home to the Neapolitan
musician, Andrea Cossa, that this faithful servant and
true artist had passed away.

"We thank you very much for sending us the
embroidered cap, which has reached us safely, and
also for giving us certain information of the death
of Messer Lorenzo. The news had already reached
Mantua, but we did not yet know if the report
were true." ^ Vegliana, May 4, 1517.

^ C. deir Acqua, op. cii.

CHAPTER XXIII

1509—1511

War of the League of Cambray — Defeat of the Venetians at
Vaila — Capture of the Marquis of Mantua near Legnago
— His imprisonment at Venice — Isabella administers the
Government — Her efforts to obtain Francesco's release —
Leonora goes to Urbino — Presents of Isabella to the Bishop
of Gurk and Queen of France — The Pope grants absolution
to Venice and obtains the release of Francesco Gonzaga —
Federico sent as hostage to Rome — His life at the Vatican
and visits to Bologna and Urbino.

On the 10th of December 1508, the secret treaty
known as the League of Cambray was concluded
between Pope JuHus II., the Emperor, Louis XII.,
the Duke of Ferrara, and the Marquis of Mantua.
The express object of the allies, as stated in the
treaty between these powers, was to resist the insati-
able ambition of Venice, and compel the Signory to
restore their conquests in Romagna and Lombardy.
Ever since his accession, Julius II. had openly de-
clared that he meant to cut the claws of the Lion
of St. Mark, and now the time for action was ripe.
In April 1509, the French army crossed the frontier,
and at the same time the papal troops, under the
Duke of Urbino, invaded Romagna.

On the 14th of May, the Venetians were com-
pletely defeated on the plains of Ghiar' Adda or
Vaila, a day as disastrous to the Republic, in the
words of contemporary writers, as the battle of

32 THE MARQUIS MADE PRISONER

Cannse. The power of the Republic was crushed
at a single blow. " In one day," says MachiaveUi,
" the Venetians lost all that they had acquired with
so much labour in 800 years." ^ Not only were they
compelled to surrender their conquests in Romagna,
but all the Venetian towns on the mainland, even
the strongly fortified cities of Verona, Vicenza, and
Padua, opened their gates to the victors.

Meanwhile the Mantuan territory was overrun by
ill-disciplined French troops, whom Francesco Gon-
zaga found more tiresome than open enemies. And
Isabella, writing to thank him for a present of
partridges, on the 22nd of June, remarked, laugh-
ingly, that even this heat cannot make her thin,
but that, if she suffered as much fatigue and worry
as he had done from these French rascals {poltroni
di francesi), perhaps she would no longer be so
plump. A month afterwards her high spirits re-
ceived a sudden check. On the 17th of July, the
Venetians succeeded in recovering Padua, and on
the 9th of August, Francesco Gonzaga was himself
surprised and taken prisoner at I sola della Scala,
a village near Legnago, on the Adige. He was in
the act of taking a company of horse to join the
imperial artillery in the siege of Padua, and was
spending the night in perfect security at Isola, when
a Venetian force, commanded by Luca Malvezzi,
secretly sun*ounded the farm-house where he slept.
As soon as the alarm was given, the Marquis
escaped through a back door, but was found by
four peasants hiding in a field of maize and taken
prisoner, first to Legnago, and afterwards to Venice.
The joy of the captors was great, especially as

^ Discorsi, iii. 31.

ISABELLA'S DISTRESS 33

Francesco's camp, with aU his silver plate, his sump-
tuous hangings and pavilions, his rich furniture
and splendid suits of armour, fell into their hands,
together with "some of the finest horses in the
world." ^ Both in Rome and Mantua the consterna-
tion was great. The choleric old Pope flung his
cap on the ground, and cursed St. Peter aloud.
The loyal subjects of the Marquis were filled with
a sense of dismay, approaching to panic, when they
heard that their lord had been borne by his captors in
triumph to Venice, and imprisoned in the strong tower
of the Ducal Palace, known as the Torresella, which
was provided with new bolts and bars for the occasion.^
But Isabella's courage and fortitude rose to the oc-
casion. In the first pang of her grief she sought the
prayers of the spiritual advisers in whom she most
relied — Prior Francesco Silvestri, and her Carmelite
friends in Mantua. And she also asked the help
and advice of an old Ferrarese lawyer, Prisciani,
whom she had known from childhood, and who was
learned in the arts of astrology. Like all her con-
temporaries, Isabella had a superstitious behef in
astrology, and ordered her actions and movements
by the courses of the stars. Her horoscope had
been cast by a learned astrologer when she visited
Urbino in 1494, and she had been especially told
not to mount a horse, a warning which she obeyed
for some time, until her love of riding proved too
strong for her good intentions. She still clung,
however, to certain deeply rooted prejudices, con-
sulted astrologers as to the future, and refused to
set out on a journey or begin an undertaking at

* Luigi da Porto, Lettere storiche, p. 106.
2 Lorenzi, Monumenti per la storia d. Pal. ducale, p. 150.
VOL. II. C

34 AN ASTROLOGER'S ADVICE

certain conjunctions of the moon and stars. Now
in her distress she implored the help of the wise
old philosopher, who replied in a long letter, in
which Christian faith and superstitious trust in
occult powers are curiously blended.

He begins by describing how, as he lay awake
at night grieving for her sorrows, a sudden voice
told him where to turn for help. He got up, lighted
his candle, and, opening his books, discovered that
a remarkable and long-expected conjunction between
the star of Jove and the Dragon's head would take
place on Saturday evening, the 18th of August, at
three minutes before half-past seven. *' At that pre-
cise moment," he continues, " kneel down, and, with
hands clasped and eyes raised to heaven, repeat the
Confiteor^ and ask God earnestly to restore your
most dear husband safe and well to your side.
Repeat this prayer three times, and in a short time
the blessing you seek will be granted. And your
httle sons and daughters might at the same time
kneel down and ask for the same grace, so that
your prayers may be heard." ^ August 15, 1509.

After this, Isabella dried her tears and faced
this new emergency with her wonted energy and
presence of mind. She administered public affairs,
made preparations for the defence of the realm, and
exerted all her powers of diplomacy to obtain her
husband's release. She sent envoys, not only to
Louis XII. and MaximiUan, but even to the Sultan,
who readily promised to use his influence with the
Doge on Francesco's behalf. But her chief trust
was placed in the Pope, and since the best means
of enlisting His Holiness's efforts in her cause was

1 Luzio in Giorn. St. d. Lett., 1900,

LEONORA GONZAGA'S MARRIAGE 35

to hasten the union of her daughter Leonora with
his nephew, the marriage was fixed to take place
in the following autumn. In November Duchess
Elisabetta herself came to Mantua to fetch the bride,
and on the 4th of December Isabella wrote to her
old friend Jacopo d'Atri, whom she had sent to plead
her husband's cause at the French court : " Here
we have been entertaining the Duchess of Urbino
and a large and honourable company at great ex-
pense, but very gladly. In two or three days she
will take back our young Duchess, whom we send
with her very willingly, hoping that His Hohness
will now show us still greater favour, and this all the
more since we hear that His Beatitude desires her
and the Duke to come to Rome for the pontifical
celebration of their marriage. . . . His Holiness has
sent a most beautiful htter for the bride, covered
with cloth of silver and gold cords, and borne by
two handsome pages in liveries to match, as well
as a fine dapple-grey horse with rich trappings. The
Duke was on his way here incognito to pay us a
visit, but when he reached Carpi, he was summoned
back in haste by a papal brief, ordering him to lead
the troops of the League against Ravenna." ^

On the 9th of December, the wedding-party set
out on their journey, which was attended with even
more discomforts and adventures than usual. First
of aU, they left Mantua in so dense a fog that
Isabella and her train of courtiers were unable to
accompany them beyond the gates, and before they
reached their first halting-place, the villa of Gonzaga,
they lost their way and wandered for hours in the
dark. " The astrologer who fixed the time of their

^ I.uzio e Renier, Mantova e Urbino, p. 190, &c.

86 JOURNEY TO URBINO

departure," remarked Isabella in a letter to Rome,
" certainly made a false calculation I But we must
hope the rest of their journey will prove more
prosperous." This was hardly the case. After being
entertained with banquets and dances at Modena and
Bologna, where the Duchesses lodged in the palace
of the Papal Legate, Cardinal Alidosi, they rode on
to Faenza, and were nearly drowned in crossing a
mountain torrent. So sudden was the rise of the
water and so strong the stream that Picenardi had
to swim for his Ufe. In a lively letter to the
Marchesa he describes how, looking round, he saw
the chariot containing two of Leonora's ladies and
their luggage floating down the stream, both the oxen
harnessed to the car being lifted off their feet by the
force of the current I "If you could have seen the
faces of Madonna Ginevra and Pasina," he adds, " you
would have died of laughing I " At length, after long
days of weary travelling over bad roads in torrents of
rain, Urbino was safely reached. The young Duke
himself rode out to meet them, and kissed his beau-
tiful Duchess, and embraced his "poor lame aunt,"
as EUsabetta called herself. She was suffering from
an acute attack of gout, and after embracing her
nephew, gladly returned to her litter. " Then the
Duke and his bride," continues Picenardi, "rode
through the fine streets of Urbino, and we aU
escorted the new Duchess to her rooms in the
palace. . . . The Duchess has, indeed, made a
beautiful entry. AU the same, nothing would please
the Duke but she must make another to-day. This
the Duchess, your sister, would not allow, upon
which the Duke flew into a rage, and said he
would go away ; but our Madonna told him to be

"IL BEL BERNARDO" 87

reasonable, and not to behave like a Turk, with other
wise words, so that he said no more and remained
content. Then Messer Cesare Gonzaga and Count
Lodovico da Canossa arrived from Rome with the
papal brief, and every one was happy." ^

The new Duchess made an excellent impression
on the whole court, as her mother's numerous friends
hastened to assure her. Amongst others, the witty
and accomplished Florentine, Bernardo Dovizi of
Bibbiena, who was at Urbino with his master.
Cardinal Medici, addressed a long letter to the
Marchesa, signing himself by his favourite nickname
of // Mocdcone (the dolt or fool), and expressing his
great regret that he had been hindered by illness
from accepting Isabella's invitation to Mantua.
The Duchess, he declared with pretended indigna-
tion, had evidently whispered false words into the
Marchesa's ears, and made her believe that his
malady was feigned. " How in the world Her
Excellency's lips could fashion so great a lie, or
drop such poison into your small and delicate
ears, I know not 1 If I was not really ill, may
God make me fall ill again I Could I have had
more honourable company or a pleasanter journey,
or have arrived in a place which I desire to see
more passionately?" After many pages in the
same strain, the witty secretary proceeds to speak
in the warmest terms of the youthful princess,
whose charms were the talk of the court. " Her
manners and bearing are perfect. Every one says
the same . . . principally Madonna Emilia, whose
judgment you will value on account of her clever-
ness and goodness. Madonna is delighted with her.

^ Luzio e Renier, op. cit., p. 195.

88 CAPTIVITY OF FRANCESCO

but in this case great love may very well make
her blind. What more shall I say? In Madonna
Leonora we see all her lady mother." ^

These letters from old friends were gratifying,
for the expenses of the wedding and the large dowry
upon which the Pope and Francesco Maria's mother
had insisted when the original contract was drawn
up in Duke Guidobaldo's lifetime, were a heavy
strain on the reduced finances of Mantua. And in
her anxiety to gratify the Pope and his kinsfolk,
Isabella had provided her daughter with clothes and
jewels of great value, and had, as she took care to
inform her Roman agent Brognolo, considerably ex-
ceeded the amount specified in the contract.

But neither for lack of money nor any other
cause did she relax her efforts to obtain her
husband's release. Since the Marquis found the
strict confinement in which he was kept at Venice
very tedious, Isabella sent his favourite tenor Mar-
chetto, the lute-player Angelo Testagrossa, and
several other court singers to beguile his lonely
hours. But they were only allowed to visit him
on rare occasions, and the severity of the Venetian
authorities, and the great expense to which they
were put, constrained the Marchesa to recall them
in January. By Francesco's especial wish, she sent
him a copy of her own portrait by Costa, as well
as one of his newly-married daughter, which he
presented after his release to his friend the Senator
Alvise Marcello, in whose palace they were seen
fifteen years later by Marc Antonio Michiel. At the
same time she made costly presents to influential per-
sonages at the French and German courts, in the

* Luzio e Renier, op. cit., p. 197.

ISABELLA'S PRESENTS 39

hope of furthering her object. She desired her
secretary, Scaloiui, to present Matthiius T^ang, Bishop
of Gurk, the all-powerful imperial legate, with a
fine silver vase, enamelled with scenes from the life
of Romulus ; ^ and she sent a Madonna by Costa as
a gift to the Queen of France. This picture had
been ordered by the Marquis a year before, and the
painter had begged Isabella to give him the benefit
of her advice and opinion on the work before it
finally left his shop. Now she wrote to Jacopo
d'Atri, on the 13th of January 1510, telling him
that she was glad of this occasion to offer a
Madonna to our great Queen, and saying that she
had chosen this Madonna by Costa, which was as
fine as any painting in the world. On the 24th
the precious picture, " the same," she writes, " which
Monseigneur de Tyande admired in our Camerino,"
after being retouched by the painter, was given to
Jacopo Soardino to take to France, together with
letters to Jacopo d'Atri, desiring him to lose no
opportunity of impressing Isabella's great wish for
her husband's deliverance on the Queen.^ These
letters crossed despatches from the ambassador, in-
forming her that Louis was shortly coming to
Milan, and reporting a curious conversation which
had been overheard between the King and Queen.

Anne of Brittany, it seems, at one time thought
seriously of accompanying the King to Italy, and
made extensive preparations for the journey, which
was afterwards abandoned. " The wise King," wrote
Jacopo d'Atri to the Marchesa, " warned her frankly
that she would find a great contrast between her own

* Luzio, Federico, p. 6.

2 Yriarte, Gazette d. B. Arts, I896; Gruyer, op. cit., ii. 211

40 QUEEN ANNE OF FRANCE

appearance and that of our ladies, and that she must
exert herself if she would compare with you, telling
her that Your Excellency in the first instance, and
after you, the Duchess of Ferrara and many others,
would prove dangerous rivals, while, if she visited
another part of Italy, the sight of the new bride, your
daughter, would be enough to crush her to the ground,
so highly does His Most Christian Majesty esteem
Madonna Leonora's incomparable beauty, prudence,
and virtue I Since this conversation the most wise
Queen, who says little herself — which is in itself a
great proof of her wisdom — has been convinced that
she cannot rival our Italian princesses, and has
decided to take with her four noble ladies : the
Marchesa di Monferrato — whom she calls French —
Madame de Nevers, Madame de Longueville, and
a lady of Brittany, who are all beautiful and highly
esteemed. She herself intends to wear black or tan
cloth, and no fine robes, so as not to enter into rivalry
with you, feeling sure that the least of you would
surpass her in this respect. Which, in my opinion,
will not be the case, for if she comes, as she wishes
extremely to do, she will appear in all her pomp and
glory, and make herself known as the Queen, not
only of France, but of the whole universe. I do not
think that she will make any show of brocade or fine
clothes, but her foot-guards will amaze all eyes, and
she herself, who is so glorious in soul, will show you
things which have never yet been imagined either
in France or Italy, but which she has the means to
do if she chooses. And of jewels also she has her
share. But I cannot help saying that it would be
well if the caps and low bodices, which are now
fashionable in Italy, were as decent as they are

ISABELLA AND HER SON 41

here. These caps, which make women look like
boys, and this fashion of laying the breast bare, will
never please foreigners, and if those French who
have been in Italy praise them, they only do so
out of flattery. I have not tried to deny this,
because, after all, honesty is the best policy. So
prepare yourself, dear Madonna, if Her Majesty
comes, to do honour to the Latin name."^

Isabella, on her part, expressed great delight to
hear of His Christian Majesty's intention to visit
Italy, and confidently expected the King's presence
at Milan would lead to the release of her husband,
" even," she adds, "if it should be necessary to have
recourse to arms." In a postscript she thanked
D'Atri for the portrait of the court-jester Triboulet,
and renews her request for a French vocabulary,
evidently desiring to improve her defective French.
But Louis had grown indifferent to the war against
Venice, and took no active steps to obtain the release
of his ally. Both he and the Emperor had learnt to
look with suspicion on Francesco Gonzaga's intrigues,
and asked the Marchesa to place her eldest son Fede-
rico as a hostage in their hands before they approached
the Republic on behalf of her husband. The mere
idea of parting from her darling boy filled the poor
mother's heart with anguish, and when Maximilian
renewed his proposal, Isabella sent this indignant
answer to Donato di Preti, her envoy at the imperial
court : —

" As to the demand for our dearest first-born son
Federico, besides being a cruel and almost inhuman
thing for any one who knows the meaning of a mother's
love, there are many causes which render it difficult

^ Luzio, Nuova Antologia, 1896.

42 ABSOLUTION OF THE VENETIANS

and impossible. Although we are quite sure that his
person would he well cared for and protected by His
Majesty, how could we wish him to run the risk of
this long and difficult journey, putting aside the
child's tender and delicate age ? And you must know
what comfort and solace, in his father's present un-
happy condition, we find in the presence of this dear
son, the hope and joy of all our people and subjects.
To deprive us of him would be to deprive us of life
itself, and of all we count good and precious. If you
take Federico away you might as well take away our
life and state at once ; so you may frankly reply, once
for all, that we will suffer any loss rather than part
from our son, and this you may take to be our
deliberate and unchanging resolution."^

In these circumstances, Isabella once more turned
to the Pope for help. The fiery old Pontiff was
satisfied to feel he had humbled Venice, and lent a
ready ear to the proposals of peace that were made
to him by the ambassadors of the Republic. At
length, on the 24th of February, he solemnly pro-
nounced the absolution of Venice, while the five
envoys, clad in scarlet, knelt at his feet for an hour
in the portico of St. Peter's. After the Miserere had
been sung, the great doors were thrown open, and
the Venetians were allowed to enter the church once
more.'^ Isabella naturally hoped this reconciliation
would lead to her husband's release, especially as the
Duke of Urbino had taken his bride to Rome, where
the Pope welcomed them warmly, and celebrated
their arrival with a succession of festivities. But
when Francesco Maria ventured to plead his father-

^ Luzio, Federico, p. 7.

2 Bvosch, Fapst Julius U., 288. Pastor/' Hist, ofthe Popes/' vi.Slp.

RELEASE OF FRANCESCO 43

in-law's cause, the Pope broke into a furious passion,
and drove him out of his presence, using the most
violent language, and reproached him with trjdng to
play the part of Valentino and to govern the Papacy.
Leonora tried to approach the Pope, with no better
result, although he expressed great affection for her,
and Bembo wrote from Rome in April that " the new
Duchess was really a most beautiful child, as modest
and gentle as possible, and already wise beyond her
years." ^ Only when he was watching the races held
at carnival from the balcony of S. Pietro, His
Holiness remarked, with evident satisfaction : " The
Marquis of Mantua has already won two palUums ;
I expect he will win this too, and then we shall
hear the people cry, Mantova ! " upon which the
two Duchesses of Urbino seized the opportunity to
implore him to remember the captive Marquis, and
His Holiness replied kindly : " Have a little patience,
my children." Presently, the Gonzaga colours were
seen flying across the course, and the Marquis's horse
came in the winner, leaving more than forty others
behind him in the race. A great shout of " Mantova 1
Mantova ! Turco I Turco ! " rang through the air, to
the dehght of not only Leonora and EHsabetta, but
of the old Pope, who laughed heartily, and went home
in high good humour.^ This incident was duly re-
ported to the Marchesa by an eye-witness, the Urbino
scribe, Picenardi, and helped to revive her drooping
hopes. But when at length JuUus II. desired the
Venetians to release Francesco, saying that he had
need of his services, the Signory refused to give him
their prisoner without receiving some pledge in return,

^ Lettere, iii, 42.

2 Luzio, op. cit., p. 58.

44 FEDERICO SENT

and several months passed before the terms of his
Uberation could be arranged. At length, in .luly
1510, the Marquis was set free, and went to Bologna
to meet the Pope, who appointed him Gonfalionere
of the Church in the place of Alfonso d'Este. At
the same time, his ten-year-old son Federico was sent
to Rome by request of the Doge, to remain in the
Pope's charge as hostage for his father's good
behaviour. Since Isabella was forced to part from
her darling child, there was some consolation in feel-
ing that in Rome he would be surrounded by friends,
and grow up in the midst of the most briUiant and
polished society of the day. As it was, the parting
cost her many tears, and she desired Matteo IppoUti
and Stazio Gadio, to whose care she committed him,
to send her daily accounts, and gave the boy a pre-
cious relic in the shape of a bracelet containing the
Gospel of St. John, to keep him from harm on his
long journey.

After spending a few days in his father's company
at Bologna, where Francia, as we know, painted his
portrait, Federico reached Rome in time to embrace
his aunt, Duchess EUsabetta, who was leaving for
Urbino, and sent a kind Httle note to his mother,
telling her how well the boy looked. By the Pope's
orders, Federico and his suite were lodged in the
Belvedere, that villa on the heights commanding an ex-
quisite view of the Campagna and Alban Hills, which
Bramante had lately enlarged and connected with the
Vatican. Here, in the spacious court planned by the
great architect, planted with orange groves and adorned
with fountains and ancient sarcophagi, Julius II. now
placed his unrivalled collection of antique statues,
including the famous Laocoon and the so-called

AS A HOSTAGE TO ROME 45

Belvedere Apollo. Here, too, the Hercules described
by Giorgio da Negroponto, in his letter to Isabella
d'Este, was erected at the entrance of the court, with
the inscription Procul este profani above the portico.

" His Highness," wrote Stazio Gadio, " is lodged
in the finest rooms of this palace, and takes his meals
in a most beautiful Loggia overlooking the Cam-
pagna, which may well be called the Belvedere. He
spends all day walking about these halls and the
garden of orange trees and pines, which affords him
the greatest delight and amusement, but he does not
neglect his singing, often sending for his master him-
self, and also repeats the office every day, and vidll no
doubt attend to his lessons when Maestro Francesco
VigiHo arrives." This was his tutor, who had been
left at Bologna ill, and was never able to undertake
the journey to Rome.

Isabella, however, was very anxious that the boy's
education should not be neglected, and in her letters
continually urged him to practise his singing and
attend to his studies, as well as devoting time to
riding and knightly exercises. As a small child, he
was very backward in reading, but quick at learn-
ing by heart, and at eight years old could repeat
long passages of Ovid, and went about the rooms of
the Castello singing them in his clear treble. But
if his absence from home interrupted the young
prince's regular studies, Isabella realised that he was
learning much in other ways. "You have every
opportunity of acquiring knowledge and necessary
experience in Rome," she wrote to the boy ; " you
can enjoy yourself and at the same time study letters,
which is far more important for a prince than for
private individuals."

46 LODGES IN THE BELVEDERE

She rejoiced especially to hear of the interest which
he took in classical antiquities, and of his daily visits
to the Coliseum and Capitol or Forum in company
with the Aretine, who acted as his guide among the
ruins of ancient Rome. Of all the antique statues in
the Belvedere, Federico admired the Laocoon most,
and sent his mother word that he longed to send to
her this divine work, and knew how much she would
admire it. The great Lombard goldsmith Caradosso,
who was now working for the Pope in Rome, offered
to make a small relief of the famous group in beaten
gold for Federico to wear in his cap, and suggested
that he should send a copy to his mother, but the
Marchesa regretfully declined the artist's proposal for
lack of money to reward the old artist as he deserved.
All the same, she was pleased to hear of her son's
affectionate remembrance, and thanked him for wish-
ing to send her the fine antiques which he saw, re-
marking that this desire and the pleasure which he
took in these things were sure signs of a good nature
and gentle spirit.^

" The more letters you write and the longer they
are, telling me of Federico, our son, and of other
events at court, the more gladly I read them," wrote
Isabella to the trusted servants who had accompanied
the boy to Rome, and certainly her injunctions were
faithfully obeyed. Every day, Stazio or Grossino or
Ippoliti informed her of the young prince's occupa-
tions and amusements, of his rides and walks in Rome
and the Campagna, the clothes he wore, and the visits
which he paid or received. One day he was shown
the Papal Treasury in the Castel S. Angelo, with all
its stores of wealth — the twelve gold images of the

1 Luzio, op. cit., p. 10.

JULIUS II. AT BOLOGNA 47

Apostles, the papal tiara valued at 80,000 ducats, and
fine chests filled with crosses, jewelled mitres, and
vessels of gold and silver. One of the officials placed
the tiara on Federico's head, upon which he ex-
claimed : " No I I will not be Pope, but Captain of
the Church," brandishing a spear in his hand as he
spoke, to the admiration of the bystanders, who
called him a young Achilles. Stazio took care to
tell the Marchesa how much enthusiasm the hand-
some boy excited as he rode on his richly harnessed
steed through the streets of Rome, clad in white and
gold brocade, with a cap of purple velvet on his fair
curls ; and he praised his liberahty to the singers and
musicians who came to amuse him in the Vatican
gardens on fine summer evenings, remarking that he
was always anxious to give them more than Maestro
Luca, the doctor, thought fit. But Isabella had no
wish to encourage these inclinations, and, when she
heard that Federico had given one of his servants a
gold-embroidered cap, sharply rebuked IppoUti for
allowing this, saying it would have been quite another
thing if Federico had taken it off his own head to
give it to some courtier as a sign of favour, but that
servants ought to know better than to ask such things
of their master, above all of a child. At the same
time, the Marchesa enjoined Ippoliti to mind his own
manners and not to reprove the prince or strike him
in public, but treat him with the respect due to his
rank.

Meanwhile the Pope, whose fury was now turned
against France and her aUies, declared war on the
Duke of Ferrara and went to Bologna to join his
army. There Federico joined him at the end of
September, and with his bright young face and

48 HIS AFFECTION FOR FEDERICO

charminsf manners quickly won the old man's heart,
as the Pope's attendants soon discovered. He be-
came his constant companion in every expedition,
and the sight of the child would often pacify him
in his most violent fits of rage.

His mother, however, insisted that his lessons
should be resumed, and he read Virgil and wrote
Latin themes, while the old Pope took the field
himself in the depths of a severe winter, and braved
frost and snow in the trenches of Mirandola. In
February, Federico was allowed to go to Urbino,
where he spent a joyous carnival in the company of
his sister and aunt, and only returned to Rome in
April. At Urbino he was the pet and plaything of
the whole court. Suppers and dances, plays and
masquerades were given every evening in his honour ;
the days were spent in singing with his sister
Leonora, and Emilia Pia, Giuliano dei Medici, Pietro
Bembo, and the violinist Jacopo di San Secondo all
made much of him for his mother s sake. Here too
he found a new sister in the person of Margarita
Gonzaga, an illegitimate daughter of the Marquis,
who had been born before his marriage, and brought
up at the court of Urbino by her aunt Elisabetta.
This fair and charming maiden, who is often men-
tioned in the Cortegiano as well as in Castiglione and
Bembo's letters, was betrothed for some years to
Alberto Pio, the pupil and friend of Aldo Manuzio,
but the marriage was deferred and ultimately aban-
doned, owing to the seizure of Carpi, first by the
French and afterwards by the Duke of Ferrara. The
next suitor for her hand was the wealthy banker
Agostino Chigi, whose suit was favourably received by
the Marquis, and who showed Federico great attention

CARDINAL BIBBIENA'S FLATTERY 49

during his stay in Rome. But the idea of union with
a man old enough to have been her father seems to
have repelled the fair Margarita herself, and Chigi
wisely refrained from pressing a suit which he saw
was distasteful, and consoled himself with a wife of
less exalted degree. Another correspondent of the
Marchesa, who had seen Federico at Bologna, sent
her glowing accounts of the boy. This was il hel
Bernardo, as Bibbiena was called by his friends.
The Marquis's anger had lately been roused by the
discovery of some intrigues among his enemies at
Florence, in which Cardinal Medici was accused of
taking part, and that prelate charged his secretary to
assure his compare, the Marchesa, that he was as
absolutely ignorant of the matter as the Grand Turk
himself, and remained as ever entirely devoted to
herself and her family. Bibbiena took occasion of
this opportunity to tell Isabella that he had been
supping that evening with her charming son, and was
surprised to find him quick and clever, as well as
wise and serious beyond his years. " O Madonna ! "
he exclaims,^ "you have indeed a rare son, and I
think you will find more comfort in him than in
anything else in the world." This accomplished
courtier, it is plain, knew the best way to Isabella's
heart.

^ Luzio, op. cit., p. 15.

VOL. II.

CHAPTER XXIV

1511—1512

The Po})e's campaign against Ferrara — Isabella's anxiety to
restore peace — The Bishop of Gurk at Mantua — Bologna
captured by the French — The Duke of Urbino murders
Cardinal Alidosi — Dangerous illness of the Pope — His re-
covery ascribed to Federico's influence — Death of Isabella's
pet dog. Aura — The Holy League against France — Victory
and death of Gaston de Foix at Ravenna — The French driven
out of Italy — Federico at the Vatican — The Belvedere ApoUo
and Tiber statue — Visit of the Duke of Ferrara to Rome.

The release of her husband, and the good accounts
which she received of her absent son, brought back
new happiness into Isabella's life. Duchess Elisa-
betta and her other friends in Rome satisfied her that
the Pope, in spite of his violent bursts of anger, was
kindly disposed towards herself and her husband,
while Federico inspired him with genuine affection.
But the fury with which Julius II. now attacked her
brother, and his resolve to conquer Ferrara at all
costs, caused her fresh distress. She grieved to see
her husband and son-in-law in command of the forces
which invaded Alfonso's territory, and used all her
influence to bring about the restoration of peace.
The Duke of Urbino succeeded in taking Modena
and Mirandola, and the Pope satisfied his warlike
spirit by chmbing the walls on a scaling ladder, and
entering the city through the breach made by his
guns. But, in spite of these reverses, Alfonso still

BISHOP LANG AT MANTUA ,51

kept the papal forces at bay, and the advance of a
large French army, under the veteran Trivulzio, to
his rehef, compelled the Pope to retire to Bologna.
A truce was now proclaimed, and, at Isabella's sug-
gestion, ambassadors from England, France, Spain,
and Germany met at Mantua to discuss terms of
peace.^ Here the Emperor's favourite minister,
Matthaus Lang, Bishop of Gurk, arrived early in
March, and was splendidly entertained by the
Marchesa.

This haughty German prelate is described by
Paride Grassi, papal master of ceremonies, as a tall
and handsome man with long fair hair, and the
manners of a barbarian.^ He assumed royal airs,
wore lay dress, and sat down in the Pope's presence
with his biretta on his head. But he was by no
means insensible to feminine charms, and before long
was completely captivated by the clever Marchesa.
"The illustrious Signora Marchesana," wrote Guido
Silvestri from Mantua to his master. Cardinal
d'Este, "is bent on obtaining this peace, although
that wretch Casola told her the other day, before us
all, that Cupid's arrows were the only weapons she
ought to fear, which sent us into fits of laughter I
So now we are rejoicing at the prospect of peace,
and hope to see all this ruin and misery end happily
for the honour of your princely house." ^ And
Casola himself, a comic poet in the service of
Cardinal d'Este, sent his master the following strange
account of an interview between the German bishop
and the Marchesa. "The other day the Bishop of

' Pastor, " Hist, of the Popes," vi, .344.
* Paride Grassi, Diarii, ed. Frati, 260, &c
^ Luzio e Renier in Giorn. St. d. Lett., 19OO.

52 MURDER OF CARDINAL ALIDOSI

Gnrk paid the Marchesa a visit, when I caused great
amusement by acting as interpreter, and we all
laughed till our sides ached." That day poUtics were
not even mentioned. 'J'he whole talk was of kissing
and romping, merry songs were sung and witty
sayings repeated, and all manner of gay fooling went
on between the German envoys and Isabella and her
ladies. Unfortunately, when Lang proceeded to
Bologna, the Pope quite refused to listen to the
Emperor's proposals of peace, and the bishop left
suddenly, with no attempt to conceal his disgust.
Hostilities were immediately resumed, and hardly
had the Pope left Bologna, than Trivulzio surprised
and defeated the Duke of Urbino's army and seized
the town. On the 23rd of May, the Bentivogli
returned in triumph, Michel Angelo's bronze statue
of Julius II. was overthrown by the mob, and the
bronze melted down by Alfonso d'Este and cast into
a cannon, which he christened La Giulia. The
next day the papal legate. Cardinal AUdosi, was
openly stabbed in the streets of Ravenna by the
Duke of Urbino, who accused him of treacherously
surrendering Bologna to the foe. A month after-
wards the old Pope returned to Rome, broken in
health and worn out with fatigue and anxieties. His
armies were defeated, his hopes disappointed. Bologna
was lost, and his favourite had been brutally murdered
by his own nephew almost before his eyes. But his
spirit was as high as ever. He checkmated the
revolted Cardinals, who, supported by the Emperor
and Louis XII., had summoned a general council at
Pisa, by himself proclaiming a general council, to
meet at the Lateran in April 1512. And he entered
into negotiations with Spain and Venice to form a

BY THE DUKE OF UKBTNO 53

leao^ie in defence of the Church and to drive the
French out of Italy.

At the same time he instituted legal proceedings
against his nephew for the murder of Cardinal
Alidosi. But his displeasure with the Duke had not
diminished his affection for Francesco Maria's young
brother-in-law. The boy was his constant companion,
both at his meals in the Vatican and in his daily
walks and rides. When any of the Cardinals came
to dinner, they sat at other tables in the same hall,
and Federico alone always ate at the Pope's little
table. In the evenings they played backgammon
together, or else went out to supper with Agostino
Chigi in the gardens of his beautiful new villa in
Trastevere.

During that summer Julius the Second's own
portrait was painted by Raphael, who introduced
His Holiness, wearing the beard which he had vowed
not to shave off till the French were driven out of
Italy, in his fresco of Pope Gregory IX. giving the
Decretals, to the right of the window in the Camera
della Segnatura. And, on the 16th of August,
Grossino informed Isabella that His Holiness had
desired Raphael " to introduce Signor Federico's por-
trait in a room which he is painting in the palace, and
in which he has drawn His Holiness with his beard,
from life." In obedience to the Pope's command,
Raphael introduced the boy's portrait in his great
fresco of the School of Athens. Federico's head
appears in the group on the left, behind the Oriental
philosopher generally called Averroes, while the
young man in a flowing garment of white and gold
is said to be his brother-in-law, Francesco Maria.

Early in August, the Pope took Federico with

54 ILLNESS OF THE POPE

him to Ostia for a few days' hunting, a sport which
he thoroughly enjoyed, and Grossino describes the
delight of the old man when he caught a big pheasant :
"He laughed loudly, told us all proudly what he
had done, and showed his prey to every one." ^ On
the Eve of the Assumption he was back in Rome,
and attended the solemn function at Vespers, in the
Sistine Chapel, when the central portion of Michel
Angelo's frescoes on the vault was unveiled." Three
days afterwards, he fell ill with a severe attack of
fever, but, with characteristic obstinacy, refused to
take either the food or medicine ordered by his
doctors. On the 23rd, the Pope was said to be dying.
He made his will, and absolved the Duke of Urbino,
who had hastened to Rome on hearing of his uncle's
iUness. '* His Holiness is passing away," wrote the
Venetian ambassador. " Cardinal Medici tells me he
cannot live through the night. The city is in a tur-
moil. Every one is taking up arms." ^ Within the
Vatican all was confusion, the servants had disappeared,
the rooms were already stripped of their furniture and
valuables. At this critical moment Federico's in-
fluence over the Pope was shown in a remarkable
way, and, according to his attendants, he saved the
irascible old man's life. " Throw those cursed medi-
cines out of the window," he cried, and railed at his
nephew Francesco Maria and the other relatives who
vainly tried to induce him to take nourishment.
"Every one was in despair," wrote Stazio Gadio to
Isabella, " and His Holiness refused to take anything,
but Signor Federico took a cup of broth with two

1 Luzio, Federico, p. 21.

2 Pastor, op. cit.

* M. Sanuto, Diarii, xii. 482.

DEATH OF THE DOG AURA 55

yolks of eggs beaten up in it, and carried it himself to
the bed of His Holiness, begging him to drink it for
his sake and that of our Lady of Loreto. . . . And
it is said in Rome that Pope JuHus will live, thanks
to Signor Federico." ^

Fortunately the iron will and robust constitution
of the sick man triumphed over the state of prostra-
tion in which the fever had left him, and he began to
eat and drink and scold his servants as vigorously as
usual. Three days later, Gadio wrote that his illness
was already forgotten.^

While all Rome was in confusion, and the news
of the Pope's death was hourly expected, Isabella
and her courtiers at Mantua were plunged in grief
for a pet dog. The Marchesa's darling Aura, which
never left her side, and which she had loved above all
others, " the handsomest and most amusing little dog
that was ever knovim," had been killed by falUng over
a cliff in flying from the pursuit of a bigger dog.
" Her Excellency was seen to shed tears at table this
evening," wrote Calandra to Federico, on the 30th of
August, " and she cannot speak of Aura without a
sigh I " The poor little dog was laid in a leaden
casket, and a fine tomb was prepared for her in a new
Loggia which the Marchesa had built that autumn.
Meanwhile, not only at Mantua, but in Rome
and Ferrara, elegies, epitaphs, sonnets, and epi-
grams were poured out by the best poets of the
day, and the tragic fate of the "chaste and noble
Aura " was lamented in Latin and Italian verses, by
Tebaldeo and Scalona, Equicola and Celio Calcagnini,

^ Luzio, op. cit, p. 22.

2 Sanuto, xii. 482, &c, ; Paride Grassi, D?am; Pastor, op. cit.,
vi. 370, &c.

56 ILL-HEALTH OF FRANCESCO

and a score of well-known humanists. Federico
shared his mother's grief for this lost favourite, and
sent her I.,atin verses in praise of Aura, composed by
M. Filippo Beroaldo and others, which are preserved
among a host of similar tributes in the Gonzaga
archives.^ But graver cares and heavier sorrows soon
came to darken Isabella s Ufe. Francesco Gonzaga's
health had suffered from his prolonged captivity and
the hardships which he had endured in the winter
campaign against Mirandola, and after this he was com-
pelled to give up active service. This enforced inac-
tivity, so contrary to his usual habits, and the incurable
malady of which he was a victim, affected his whole
being, and made him weak and irresolute, as well as irrit-
able and unhappy. During the remainder of his life,
he depended more and more on his wife, and Isabella
had a large share in the management of public affairs.
" Here you may rest assured," wrote Equicola to
Duke Alfonso, "that everything is referred to
Madonna, and not a leaf is allowed to stir without
her knowledge and consent." But the task was by
no means easy, and she had to steer her way through
many perilous rocks. On his recovery, Juhus II.
resumed his former plans with fresh energy, and in
October 1511, a Holy League between Spain,
Venice, and the Pope was proclaimed in Rome.
Towards the end of January 1512, the Spanish and
papal forces under Raymond de Cardona, Viceroy of
Naples, besieged Bologna, and the Venetians took
Brescia. But this town was quickly recovered and
cruelly sacked by Louis the Twelfth's nephew, Gaston
de Foix, after which this dashing young soldier
followed up his success by invading Romagna. On

1 Luzio in Giom. St. d. Lett, 1899, pp. 44.-4().

BATTLE OF RAVENNA 57

Easter Day, the two armies met on the plains near
Ravenna, and after a fiercely contested fight, the
superiority of Alfonso d'Este's artillery decided the
fortunes of the day. The army of the League was
completely defeated, and Cardinal Medici, the Pope's
legate, two of his generals, Fabrizio Colonna and the
Marquis of Pescara, were made prisoners, with all their
guns and banners. But the victorious general, Gaston
de Foix, fell in the thick of the fight, and there was no
one left to take his place. The army was demoralised,
and their leaders soon began to quarrel. Alfonso
d'Este retired to Ferrara, and the Duke of Urbino,
who had refused to move hitherto, now advanced
with fresh forces to his uncle's help, and once more
received the baton of command, while, at a summons
from the Holy Father, a strong body of Swiss, under
Cardinal Schinner, descended on Milan. On the
3rd of May, only three weeks after the disastrous
defeat of Ravenna, the Pope, whose indomitable
courage never quailed, opened the Lateran Council,
and pronounced the Council of Pisa to be null and
void. A month later, the Milanese rose in arms, and
once more threw off the hated yoke of France. The
French generals withdrew their troops beyond the
Alps, and Bologna opened its gates to the papal
legate. The Pope's triumph was complete, and he
ordered solemn processions and thanksgivings
throughout the churches for the deliverance of
Italy.

Meanwhile, Isabella's precious boy was stiU living
in the Vatican, and, much as she longed to clasp him
in her arms, she was too keenly sensible of the im-
portance of keeping the Pope in good humour to
urge his return. Since Julius the Second's recovery

X

58 FEDERICO IN ROME

from his illness, Federico's ascendancy with the old
man had become greater than ever. He accompanied
His Holiness to the opening of the Lateran Council,
wearing a sword and cuirass over a suit of white satin
and gold brocade, embroidered with the Greek letters
alpha and omega, which his mother had sent him
for the occasion, and a velvet cap with a gold medal
of Hercules, by Caradosso. The Pope, Stazio reports,
was highly amused at the sight of Federico's warlike
aiTay, and flourished his stick at him, calling out :
" Are you ready to fight me ? " But, after mass had
been sung, the young prince escaped from the long ora-
tions and tedious ceremonies which followed, and was
conducted by Agostino Chigi to dine at the Convent
of San Gregorio on the Aventine, and Hsten to the
Aretine's comic recitations. Many were the splendid
entertainments which the wealthy merchant gave in
Federico's honour, feasting him, as Gadio tells
Isabella, with an abundance of delicate viands, the
best wines and most excellent melons and fruits in
the world, and bringing peasant children ' from his
native Siena to act pastoral plays before him. One
day he took him to see his alum quarries at Civita-
vecchia, and spend Sunday at a hunting lodge in
the forest, where the immense quantities of fish and
game with which the table was loaded amazed the
honest Mantuan tutor, who could not understand
how such luxuries should spring up in these wild
and desert places.

On the Feast of St. Sebastian, Federico visited
the basilica of S. Paolo fuori le Mura, to obtain certain
indulgences attached to a crucifix before which St.
Bridget prayed, and which is still preserved in a side-
chapel. After dining with the Benedictine Fathers,

VISITS THE CHURCHES 59

he was taken over a ship, manned by galley-slaves
in the Tiber, by the Genoese captain of the Pope's
galleys. A salute was fired and trumpets blown in
honour of his visit, but the sight of the poor gaUey-
slaves filled him and his companions with compassion.
" I have never seen galley - slaves before," wrote
Grossino to the Marchesa, " but I think few persons
would not be grieved to see these poor men chained
by the leg and wearing hardly any clothes. They live
on bread and water, and their skin is blackened with
exposure. Poor fellows ! I think they must envy the
dead I Their only pastime is to make ropes when they
are resting." Yet these unhappy men mingled their
shouts of joy with the discharge of the artillery, and
Signor Federico, the secretary hastens to add, gave
many of them money. Grossino proceeds to relate
how he visited the Church of St. Sebastian on his
way back, and saw the marble block with the print of
our Lord's feet, and how, in spite of a heavy down-
pour of rain, aU Rome seemed to be there. In the
same letter, Grossino describes a visit which he paid,
on the Feast of St. Agnes, to the well-known church
of that name, two miles without the gates. " This,"
he writes, " is a most ancient sanctuary, as old as any
in Rome, and full of fine antiques." He describes
the six carved and finely polished candelabra of white
stone, the rich marbles of the long flight of stairs
leading up to the church, and the ancient chapel of
S. Costanza, containing the porphyry sarcophagus
which was, he remarks, once sacred to Bacchus, but
now holds the ashes of a saint. This porphyry tomb,
adorned, as Grossino tells his mistress, with reliefs of
Cupids gathering in the vintage, is now in the Vatican,
as well as the six candelabra, but the fourth-century

60 ROMAN ANTIQUES

mosaics of genii picking and pressing the grapes,
wliich he (les('ri])es as the oldest and some of the
finest in Rome, may still be seen on the vaulted
roof. The Mantuan secretary ends his letter by
giving Isabella a long and minute description of the
famous statue of the river-god Tiber, with the wolf
suckling Romulus and Remus, which had just been
dug up in a house close to the Dominican Convent of
Sta. Maria sopra Minerva. The discovery attracted
crowds from all parts of Rome, and the marble group
was promptly bought by the Pope, and placed in the
Belvedere, together with a Sleeping Nymph, generally
known as Ariadne, but which Grossino calls a Cleo-
patra, and which was celebrated as such in an elegant
set of Latin hexameters by Castiglione. In an earher
letter, of July 12, 1511, Grossino also mentions the
famous Apollo, " a statue," he writes, " held to be
no less fine than the Laocoon," which had been
discovered some years before on a farm at Grotta-
ferrata, belonging to Pope JuUus when he was still
Cardinal della Rovere, and was now removed to the
Vatican. Another of Grossino's letters gives a curious
description of the so-called Feast of the Jews at
carnival, when twelve Jews ran a race on foot from
the Piazza di S. Pietro to the Castel Sant' Angelo.
Messer Rabi, the Pope's Hebrew doctor, presided at
this fete, and one hundred armed Jews rode before him,
while fifty others marched at his side, bearing olive
boughs and banners with the Pope's arms, and those
of the city of Rome, S.P.Q.R. The scarlet pallium
was presented to the winner by the Senator, amid
shouts of Julio I and the Jews who took part in the
race were entertained at Messer Rabi's house.
Federico also attended the bull-baiting and horse

ALFONSO D'ESTE IN ROME Gl

races on the Piazza di S. Pietro, and a splendid
masquerade in the Campo dei Fiori, when Isabella's
uncle, the handsome Cardinal of Aragon, and several
other Monsignori, appeared on Arab horses in mag-
nificent Hungarian costumes, blazing with gold and
silver and jewels, with belts and scimitars, boots and
spurs to match.^

The Marchesa, we may be sure, appreciated these
details fully, and was still better pleased to hear how
diligently Federico studied Greek and mathematics
with Raphael's friend, the learned old humanist, Fabio
Calvi of Ravenna, whose frugal habits and devotion
to his studies filled his pleasure-loving contemporaries
with amazement. Her maternal pride was highly
flattered when Filippo Beroaldo composed an ode in
honour of Federico, and she wrote back that she
hoped this would encourage him to still greater
efforts, even though she could hardly believe that he
possessed all the excellent gifts which the poet
ascribed to him. She now resolved to make use of
Federico's influence with the Pope to pave the way
for a reconciliation between His Holiness and her
brother Alfonso.

The Duke, finding himself abandoned by his
French allies, humbly asked leave to come to Rome
and obtain absolution from the Pope. He had a
powerful friend at the Vatican in the person of
Fabrizio Colonna, Elisabetta Gonzaga's brother-in-
law, whom he had taken prisoner in the battle of
Ravenna, and released without ransom. At his
intercession, Julius consented to grant the Duke a
safe conduct for his journey, and Alfonso came to
Rome in July, accompanied by Isabella's Latin

^ Luzio, op. cit., pp. 28-34.

62 HE VISITS THE SISTINA

teacher, Mario Equicola, and took up his abode in
the house of Cardinal Gonzaga, near S. I^orenzo in
Lucina. Federico obtained leave to entertain his
uncle at a banquet in the Vatican, and afterwards
gave a concert in his honour, at which the best
singers and musicians in Rome performed. Before
dinner, the Duke visited the Borgia apartments,
where he greatly admired Pinturicchio's frescoes, and
afterwards expressed so much anxiety to see the vault
of the chapel which Michel Angelo was painting, that
Federico sent to ask Buonarroti, in the Pope's name,
if his uncle might ascend the scaffolding. The desired
permission was given, and "the Duke," writes Gros-
sino, "went up into the vault with several gentle-
men of his suite. One by one they came down again,
all but the Duke, who could not satisfy his eyes with
gazing at these figures, and remained up there for a
long time talking to Michel Angelo, and ended by
begging him to paint him a picture, for which he
offered a large sum, and the master promised that he
w^ould do this. Meanwhile, Signor Federico, seeing
that His Excellency remained so long in the vault,
took his gentlemen to see the Pope's rooms, and those
which Raphael of Urbino is painting, and when the
Duke came down he wished to show him the Pope's
room, and the stanze which Raphael is painting, but
His Excellency refused to go there, and his gentlemen
told me that he had too much respect for the Pope to
enter the room where His Holiness slept." ^

The next day, Fabrizio Colonna introduced the
Duke into the Pope's presence, while immense
crowds assembled at the Vatican gates, hoping to
see the redoubted victor of Ferrara do penance as

^ Luzio, op. cit., p. 37.

MICHEL ANGELO AND RAPHAEL 63

Barbarossa of old at the feet of His Holiness ; but
the Pope's first greeting was friendly enough. He
welcomed Fabrizio as one of the deliverers of Italy,
and gave Alfonso absolution in private only, desiring
him to visit the four principal churches in Rome, and
agreed to appoint a Commission of Cardinals to settle
the terms of his reconciliation.^ Before the Duke
left, he asked him to release his unfortunate brothers,
Ferrante and Giulio, who had implored the Holy
Father to save them from their misery, but could
obtain no satisfaction on this point, and Alfonso's
uncle, the Cardinal of Aragon, declared that he
thought they were dead. But when the terms of the
agreement were discussed, it appeared that the Pope,
who had already taken possession of Modena and
Reggio, demanded the cession of Ferrara itself, and
offered the Duke the town of Asti in exchange.
When Alfonso indignantly refused to accept these
terms, the Pope broke out into one of his most
furious passions, and Fabrizio Colonna, fearing for his
guest's safety, helped him to leave Rome by night
and escape secretly, first to his castle of Marino, and
afterwards to Ferrara.^ After this, the Pope's anger
knew no bounds. He began proceedings against the
Duke as a rebellious vassal, threatened Colonna with
vengeance, and stormed at every one around him.
When Alfonso sent Ariosto to try and appease his
wrath, he only raged the more, and bade the poet
begone from his sight, or he would order him to be
drowned in the Tiber.^ But this time the fiery old

^ Sanuto, xiv. ; Pastor, op. cit. ; Bro'=;c!i, op. cii., 352.

2 Paride Grassi, Diarii, British Museum MSS. ; Pastor, op. cit.

3 F. Vettori, Arch. St., App., vi. 288 ; Guicciardini, Opere Inedite,
vi. 83.

64 VIOLENCE OF THE POPE

Pontiff had gone too far. Even his allies resented his
violence, and King Ferdinand told Guicciardini, the
Florentine envoy at the Court of Spain, that he had
no intention of allowing the Pope to seize Ferrara
and become another Borgia.^

^ Guicciardini, op. inedite, vi. 88.

CHAPTER XXV

1512—1513

The Congress of Mantua — The Viceroy of Naples, Bishop of Gurk,
and Giuliano dei Medici at Mantua — MaximiUan Sforza de-
clared Duke of Milan by the allies — Isabella's intrigues in his
favour — The Medici restored by Spanish troops — Sack of Prato
and return of Giuliano and Giovanni dei Medici to Florence
— Congratulations of Isabella — Her intrigues on behalf of Fer-
rara — The Pope's threats — Cardinal Gurk in Rome — Carnival
fetes and Fra Mariano — Federico's portrait painted by Raphael
— Death of Julius II. — Election of Pope Leo X. — Bibbiena
becomes a Cardinal.

Early in the month of August 1512, the represen-
tatives of the allied powers met at Mantua, where
a prolonged conference took place, and Isabella
d'Este displayed her usual tact and ability in the
conduct of negotiations. On this occasion, her friend
the Bishop of Gurk again represented the Emperor,
and Raimondo de Cardona, Viceroy of Naples, visited
Mantua for the first time as King Ferdinand's deputy.
Giuliano dei Medici and his clever secretary, Bernardo
da Bibbiena, were the agents accredited by the Pope,
while Giovanni Soderini, the brother of the Gonfa-
loniere, was the nominal representative of Florence,
but soon found that he possessed little authority.
The Pope was determined to punish the Republic for
her adhesion to France, and the restoration of the
Medici had already been secretly agreed upon, but
the great question which occupied the envoys was

VOL. IL " 'E

66 MAXIMILIAN SFORZA

the settlement of Milan. Both Maximilian and Fer-
dinand would have liked to bestow the Duchy on
their young grandson, Charles, but neither the Pope
nor Venice and Mantua would agree to this, and the
Swiss, who held Milan, and were the real masters of
the situation, declared at once in favour of Maximilian
Sforza, the Moro's elder son. Since the first con-
quest of Milan by the French in 1499, this youth
had been brought up at Innsbriick, with his brother
Francesco, in the care of his cousin, the Empress
Bianca, and was more of a German than an Italian
in his habits and tastes. He was now nineteen, and
showed little signs of his father's talent or his mother's
high spirit ; but Isabella could not forget that he was
her nephew, and not only rejoiced that Beatrice's son
should reign on his father's throne, but saw in his
accession a new opportunity for the advancement of
her family's interests. She threw herself heart and
soul into the young prince's cause, and lost no oppor-
tunity of urging his claims on Lang and Cardona, as
well as on Giuliano dei Medici and Bibbiena, who
were already her sworn friends and allies. The
Viceroy soon fell a prey to the charms of the brilliant
Marchesa and her lovely maids-of-honour. The
intervals of business were filled with music and song,
with pleasant society and gay jests, and while Giuliano
and the handsome Bernardo declared themselves to be
in love with fair Alda Boiarda, Cardona and the Bishop
were at the feet of the fascinating beauty Brognina.
Isabella herself had a happy knack of discussing grave
political questions at these lively Uttle dances and
suppers, and she knew, above all, how to govern
others without ever allowing her influence to appear.
In this case, the choice of Maximilian Sforza agreed

CONFERENCE AT MANTUA 67

particularly well with the interests of the confederates,
as one of the most clear-sighted Florentine statesmen
of the day remarked : " The Pope wished to have a
weak Duke of Milan, so as to dispose of the wealthy
benefices in the Duchy at his will. The Bishop of
Gurk only cared to raise as much money as possible
for his imperial master. The Viceroy wished to
quarter his Spanish troops in Lombardy and receive
pay for them. The Swiss counted on getting their
hire from the Duke, and remaining the real masters
of Milan ; and Venice looked forward to an easy
triumph over a feeble prince."^ So the business of
the conference was speedily despatched in a manner
agreeable to all parties, saving the unfortunate Floren-
tine envoy, whose opinion was seldom asked. When
he left Mantua, the doom of Florence was already
sealed.

On the 21st of August, the Spanish army entered
Tuscany with the Medici brothers, and when the
Gonfaloniere sent troops to oppose their advance,
Prato was stormed and cruelly sacked. On the
31st, GiuHano sent the Marchesa the following
note 2 in Bibbiena's writing : " I know well that
Your Excellency will rejoice in my happiness, and
therefore hasten to tell you that to-morrow my most
reverend brother and I are about to return to our
home, and take possession of our own house, with
the consent of the whole city of Florence. An
infinite number of citizens have come here to con-
gratulate us on our good fortune. The good news
will, I know, give Your Excellency and her illustrious
lord the greatest pleasure, so I send a courier to tell

1 Francesco Vettori, iS/on'a c^'/to/ia, 1511-1527, in Arch. St. It., yi.

2 Pastor, " Hist, of the Popes," vi. 654.

68 THE MEDICI RESTORED

you this, and to remind you that I shall be as
entirely at your service, when I am back in my
home, as I have been during my long exile. I
commend myself to my dear Madonna Alda and
Equicola, and all your noble court, and so does the
Moccicone, vv^ho is your faithful servant. — Your ser-
vant, GiULiANO DEI Medici." Prato, 31st August,

9 P.M.

The next day the tw^o brothers entered Florence
in state, and Isabella sent Giuliano her warmest
congratulations. " I thank Your Signory," she writes,
" for this happy news, and assure you that nothing
could give me greater pleasure. I rejoice to think
that your return to your own house should be
accomplished without any tumult, and with the
consent of the RepubUc, and hold this for a good
augury of your future peace and prosperity. I feel
sure that your return will excite the less opposition,
and will be the more grateful to all, since it has
been so fortunately effected without any bloodshed.
And tell Moccicone how much we all rejoice with
him, in this the greatest joy that he has ever had." ^

So Isabella wrote, in unconscious irony, ignorant
of the horrible cruelties of the Spanish soldiers, and
of the thousands of innocent women and children
who had fallen victims to their greed and lust. She
was not without her own anxieties at the time,
and, in a letter to Cardinal d'Este,^ she tells him
of a stormy interview that had taken place between
the Pope and the Mantuan envoy, in which His
Holiness complained bitterly of the Marquis saying
that, owing to him, the Diet had been held at

1 Luzio e Renier, Mantova e Urbino, p. 222.

2 Guasti, Sacco di Prato.

THE POPE ATTACKS FERRARA 69

Mantua instead of in Rome, to the shame and dis-
honour of the Church, and that now Gurk refused
to appear before him. " He accuses us,'" continues
Isabella, "of giving shelter to the Ferrarese, and
swears that if you and the Duchess and her children
come to Mantua, he will order his army to march
against this state instead of Ferrara, regardless of
the Emperor's wishes, and will send Federico to
the Torresella of Venice, together with many bad
words." ^

The old Pope's anger would have been still more
fierce if he could have seen the letters and messages
which Isabella sent repeatedly to her son-in-law of
Urbino, begging him, for her sake, to spare Ferrara,
and do as httle injury as possible to her brother's
subjects. Castiglione, who was at Urbino, and who
had, as Isabella told her brothers, more influence
with the Duke than any one else, sent her consoHng
assurances, and while the Marquis wrote groveUing
letters to the Pope, promising to send him the first
of the Este traitors who dared set foot on his ter-
ritory, Francesco Maria wasted so much time over
his preparations that it became necessary to suspend
military operations until the spring. Meanwhile
Parma and Piacenza were given up to the Church,
and sent delegates with splendid presents to Rome.
Finally, on the 4th of November, the Bishop of
Gurk himself arrived at the Vatican, and pubhcly
announced the Emperor's adhesion to the Lateran
Council. The Pope, overjoyed at this triumph, wel-
comed Maximilian's ambassador with royal honours,
and raised him to the dignity of Cardinal. On
the 25th of November, the new aUiance between

^ Luzio e Renier, Mantova e Urbino, p. 205.

70 A ROMAN CARNIVAL

the Emperor and the Pope was solemnly proclaimed
in S. Maria del Popolo, and Federico rode at the
Pope's side, " looking," wrote Stazio Gadio, " as
beautiful as an angel," in a suit of gold and peacock
satin, with a white velvet cap and fine white feathers,
given him by his mother, fastened by a diamond
clasp, with the letters A.C.R.V., "which His
Holiness thus interprets, ^ Anior caro ritorna vivo'
— ' Dear love, come home safe.' " ^

The following Christmas and carnival were cele-
brated with greater gaiety than had been known
for many years in Rome. The banquets and suppers
to which Federico was invited at the house of his
uncle, Sigismondo Gonzaga, and of the other Car-
dinals, were marked by a wild revelry and an absence
of decorum which his mother would hardly have
approved, and Stazio felt it necessary to suppress
certain incidents in his letters to the IMarchesa.
He does not, for instance, mention the presence of
the Roman courtesan Albina at Cardinal Gonzaga's
house, one night when Fra Mariano jumped on
the table, and, gallantly assisted by Bibbiena, threw
chickens at each other, and smeared the guests'
faces with soup and sauce from the dishes on the
table.^ This Fra Mariano Fetti, whose presence was
so much in request among the members of the
Sacred College, and in whose company, Stazio writes,
it was impossible not to be liierry, afterwards became
the favourite buffoon of Leo X., and held the luc-
rative post of Pio?}ibatore, or Keeper of the Papal
Seals, for many years. He professed great devotion
to the Marquis of Mantua, who repeatedly presented

* Luzio, Federico, p. 40.
8 Ibid,, p. 47.

FJ&TES AND MASQUERADES 71

the pallium which his horses won on the Corso to
the friar's convent of S. Silvestro, and his witty
letters abound in affectionate messages to the Mar-
chesa and the caro Marchesino. In the midst of
these carnival festivities, he and Bibbiena were
summoned by their patron, Cardinal Medici, to
Florence, and from the convent of San Marco, in
that city, the Frate addressed a long letter to the
Marquis, in which, after condoling with him on his
long illness, and praising the charms of his sweet
little son, whose young face has refreshed and re-
newed the life of the old city of Rome, he tells him
that he, the poor friar, has only two wishes left in
the world. One is to visit the sanctuary of S. Maria
di Loreto ; the other to come to Mantua, to see his
dear lord and the famous palazzina which contains
the Triumphs of Petrarch (?) by Andrea Mantegna,
the glory of Mantua. If it were not for the horrors
of wind, snow and rain, of mud and marshes, he
would fly thither at once and taste of the good fish
of Garda ; but once let the spring come, and he will
set out without delay to spend a joyous week in
the company of his lord, for whose health all good
Dominicans never cease to pray.i

But the most splendid pageant held in Rome
during the carnival of 1513 was a procession repre-
senting the Triumph of Pope Julius II., which
started from the Capitol and passed down the Corso
to the bridge of Sant' Angelo and along the Via
de' Pontefici to the Agone. In this strange mas-
querade the victory of the Pope over the French,
the deliverance of captive Italy, and the sittings of
the Lateran Council, were all set forth ; and the

^ Luzio, op. cit, p. 48.

72 FEDERICO'S PORTRAIT

different cities were represented by symbolic figures
and groups, with the usual abundance of scriptural
and classical allusions — JNIoses lifting up the brazen
serpent in the wilderness, Phaeton faUing from
Heaven, and the sun-god Apollo, throned in his
temple of Delphi, triumphing over all his foes. But
while the long procession, which Isabella's corre-
spondents describe minutely in their letters, was
winding through the crowded streets, amid the
acclamations of all Rome, the Pope himself was
dying in the Vatican, and not all the science of the
learned Jewish physician could bring back the breath
of life into the old man's worn-out frame. On the
18th of February, Stazio Gadio wrote to tell the
Marquis that the Pope was suffering from a sudden
attack of fever, and that the worst was feared.
The Cardinals had placed guards at the gates of
the Vatican, and some of the captains had asked
Federico to take the command of the papal troops.
On all sides people were removing their property
for fear of a tumult, and Signor Federico himself
was doubtful whether to remain or not, but would
follow his uncle Cardinal Gonzaga's directions. Per-
fect order was maintained, however, and Federico
remained quietly in his rooms.

A year before this, on the 24th of May 1512,
Isabella d'Este had written to desire that her son's
portrait should be painted by Raphael. " Since we
have been obliged," she writes to Ippoliti, "to give
away the portrait of our son Federico, which was
painted at Bologna, we wish to have another,
especially as we hear he is still handsomer and more
graceful than he was then. We desire you to see if
the painter Raphael, the son of Giovarmi Santi of

PAINTED BY RAPHAEL 73

Urbino, is now in Rome. If he is, ask him to
paint a bust of Federico in armour, but if Raphael
should not be there, find out who is the best master
next to him, since we do not wish to have him
painted by an inferior artist, but desire that his
portrait should be taken by some good master, whom
we will treat with our usual honourable courtesy.
And tell him that we should hke the portrait to
be life-size and painted as soon as possible, since
there is nothing that we wish for more."

A whole year passed, however, before Raphael
was able to undertake the commission. At length,
on the 13th of January 1513, he invited the young
prince to give him his first sitting. " Yesterday,"
wrote Stazio Gadio to the Marchesa, " Federico
armed himself with Your Excellency's doublet, put
on his plumed hat and gold cape, and went to
have his portrait painted by Maestro Raphael of
Urbino, painter to His Holiness, who took a sketch
of him in charcoal in this dress, which he will paint
afterwards."

" M. Raphael of Urbino," adds Grossino, " has
begun to paint Signor Federico in the costume
which he wore at the opening of the Council, armed
with the doublet and wearing the hat which Your
Excellency sent him."

A month later, on the 15th of February, Grossino
wrote again : " As for S. Federico' s portrait, I ask
M. Raphael constantly how it is progressing ; he
tells me that he is working at it, and that I need
have no fear, since he is very anxious to paint this
portrait and serve Your Excellency well." But four
days after this, Grossino wrote : " M. Raphael of
Urbino has returned the cape and doublet of

74 DEATH OF JULIUS II.

S. Federico, in which he was to paint his portrait, and
begs Your Excellency to pardon him, since, at the
present time, it is impossible for him to give his
mind to the work."

His great patron's life was fast ebbing away,
and that very night of the 20th of February the
Pope breathed his last. The heroic nature of the
man was never more evident than on his death-
bed. Cardinal Gonzaga, in a letter which he wrote
to Mantua that evening, owns that he and all his
brother Cardinals were moved to tears when the
dying Pope bade them farewell, and calmly gave
them his last blessing. He asked them to pray for
his soul, saying that he had been a great sinner,
and had not governed the Church well. And
with perfect composure he gave directions for the
coming Conclave, and begged them to observe his
laws against simony and keep their hands pure.
" After we had kissed his hand and received his last
blessing, he took leave of us with the utmost forti-
tude, but not without many tears on our part. I
confess I could not help weeping when I remembered
aU the benefits which Your Excellency and all our
house, but I above all, have received from him. And
I was moved to tears even more by the sight of this
strong and constant soul, which the near approach
of death could not shake, turning to God our
Saviour, and with true greatness of heart remember-
ing all those things which most people forget in their
last hours. His Holiness sees, hears, understands,
speaks, orders, and provides, as if he were in full
strength and health, and is perfectly calm and self-
possessed, although he is actually dying." ^ A few

1 Luzio, Federico, p. 51.

THE CONCLAVE MEETS 75

hours later, Federico himself wrote the following
brief note to his father: "During the past night,
at the hour of half-past four on Monday morning,
His Holiness Pope Julius II. passed from this
world into the next, called by our Lord God to
life eternal." ^

Great was the lamentation when the news of
the Pope's death was made known. " Rome felt,"
writes Gregorovius, " that a kingly soul had passed
away." And Paride Grassi, who had lived forty
years in Rome, says that he never saw such crowds
at a Pope's funeral before, or such tokens of genuine
and widespread grief. " They thronged to kiss his
feet and gaze on his dead face, for all recognised
in him a true Roman Pontiff and Vicar of Christ, a
defender and protector of the weak against tyrants,
and the deliverer of Italy from the barbarians." ^

Only in Ferrara was the news of Julius the
Second's death hailed with satisfaction. Alfonso
d'Este was delivered from his most dangerous
enemy, and Isabella must have been secretly con-
scious of a deep sense of relief. Now, at least,
Federico would be set free, and could return to
her arms at once. As soon as the Conclave met
he obtained permission from the Sacred College to
go to Mantua, and on the 3rd of March took
leave of the Cardinals. "The door was not quite
closed," writes honest Grossino to his mistress, "so
I could see through the opening how His Highness
bowed to the ground and tried to kiss their hands,
but they all embraced and kissed him." ^

1 D'Arco, Arch. St. It., App. ii. 284.

2 Gregorovius, Rom, viii. 113; Creighton, v. 189,
2 Luzio, op. cit., p. 52.

76 ELECTION OF CARDINAL MEDICI

A week aftei-wards, Cardinal Medici was pro-
claimed Pope, and his secretary, Bibbiena, wrote
joyfully to inform the Marchesa Isabella of his
patron's election, and to assure her of Leo the
Tenth's absolute devotion to her person and in-
terests.

" Your Signory will have already heard this most
happy news of the accession of your most reverend
compatre to the pontificate, which will, I know, give
you immense joy and consolation, because, putting
aside the singular love which His Holiness and all
his house have ever borne to your illustrious con-
sort and yourself, you will understand that the
safety of your nephew and his state, as well as that
of your brother, depends on the elevation of your
compatre to the Holy See. So that Your Excel-
lency has greater cause to rejoice over this most
fortunate event than any other person in the world,
and so I too rejoice with Your Highness and con-
gratulate you warmly. His Holiness wished your
illustrious fii'st-born son, Signor Federico, had been
still in Rome, when he came out of the Conclave,
so as to show him some sign of that true and great
affection for Your Excellency and the Marquis, of
which the Holy Father has already spoken re-
peatedly, and I tell you this that you may know
His Holiness has your interests ever at his heart,
and loves you well." And after many protestations
of his own devotion and anxiety to serve her, especi-
ally now that, as he modestly puts it, "he may be
of a Uttle more account than he was before,"
Bibbiena ends by sending his affectionate greetings
to Madonna Laura (Giovanni Gonzaga's wife), his
dear Madonna Alda, and all the Marchesana's ladies,

PROCLAMATION OF LEO X. 77

above all Isabella Lavagnolo, and her tutor, Mario
Equicola. ^

The Marchesa was at Milan when the news of
Leo's election reached her, and sent Equicola at
once to kiss the new Pope's feet and offer him her
congratulations. On the 28th of March, she repUed
to Bibbiena in the following letter : " You will have
already heard from Mario Equicola of the joy and
delight with which this happy event has filled us, and
really, since the day of our birth, we have never had
any greater pleasure than this good news, which
reached us immediately after we heard of the death
of Pope Julius. For all of which we praise and
thank our Lord God, hoping that, by the great
goodness and wisdom of His Holiness, we may see
the safety of the Duke our brother's state secured,
that of our nephew the Duke of Milan established, as
well as the honour and exaltation of our husband the
Marquis and the peace of all Italy confirmed. On
our own account we are satisfied that we shall enjoy
the protection and perpetual favour of His Holiness,
both because of the bond of our common sponsorship
and of the love and regard we bore him as Cardinal
dei Medici, not to speak of our intimate friendship
with his brother, the Magnifico Giuliano. No less do
we reckon on the favour and influence which you
will retain with His Holiness, feeling no doubt that
neither rank nor honours will change your nature,
but that you wiU be as kind and affectionate to us as
ever, even although we have made you lose 500
ducats I " ^ After this allusion to some wager between
them regarding the result of the Conclave, she ends

1 Luzio e Renier, op. cit., p. 209.

2 Ibid., p. 211.

78 BIBBIENA MADE A CARDINAL

by congratulating Bibbiena on the new dignities of
protonotary and treasurer which the Pope had
bestowed upon him. Equicola, in his letters from
Rome, informed his mistress that his friend Bibbiena
stood foremost in the Pope's favour, and was already
beset with needy pensioners seeking his good offices,
but told the Marchesa that he was as gay and kindly
as ever, and quite unspoilt by his sudden elevation.
But there are so many Florentines at court, he
adds, that it is impossible to count them. The
whole Vatican — indeed, one may say the whole of
Rome — has become Florentine ! The Pope, who had
not forgotten the kind welcome which he had found
at Mantua a year before, when he escaped from the
French camp, after being made prisoner in the battle
of Ravenna, received Isabella's envoy most graciously,
and spoke in the warmest terms of the Marchesa,
saying that he looked upon her as a dear sister, only
that she inspired him with more profound reverence.
Bibbiena, who was only thirty-three years of age,
now took deacon's orders with a view to his future
elevation, and, as his friends expected, was created a
Cardinal in the following autumn. The Marchesa
was one of the first to whom he announced his new
dignity, and, in a graceful note bearing the date of
the 18th of October, he thanked her for her kind
congratulations. " Your Highness," he wrote, " will
not, I hope, think that I am so vulgar as to think
myself of more importance than I was before, least of
all with regard to you ; for, even if this rank brings
me greater respect from others — which, indeed, I
have not as yet discovered! — this can only affect
those who are strangers to me, certainly not Your
Excellency, whose Moccicone I will remain to the end.

CORONATION OF THE POPE 79

As for that part of your sweet and charming letter in
which you say that the prayers I offer in this habit
must avail more, I gladly agree, and hope that the
friends who are nearest to me may receive more than
others. All the same, it is devil's work to ask favours
for others, even for those whom you most wish to
help I but I will try to obey Your Highness, and ask
boldly."^

All Rome rejoiced at the peaceful opening of the
new pontificate. *' Once Venus reigned, then Mars,
now Pallas holds her sway," was the motto which
Agostino Chigi placed on the triumphal arch which
he raised in honour of the Pope's coronation. And
while the Duke of Urbino, clad in deep mourning
for his uncle, held the Pope's bridle as Prefect of
Rome and Captain-General of the Church, the
Duke of Ferrara, absolved from papal censures, and
sumptuously attired in white and gold brocade, was
one of the most splendid figures in the ranks of the
stately procession that passed from St. Peter's to the
Lateran.^ No one rejoiced more sincerely over his
restoration to the Holy Father's favour than his sister
Isabella, and, as she told her friend, the new Cardinal,
she only longed for the day when she should be able
to come to Rome herself and kiss the Pope's feet.

^ Luzio, Federico, p. 13.

2 Gregorovius, Rom, viii. l67 ; Roscoe, Leo X . App.

CHAPTER XXVI

1512—1513

Isabella spends the carnival at Milan — Duke Maximilian Sforza
— His weakness and extravagance — The Viceroy of Naples
and Cardinal Gurk at Milan — Isabella and her ladies — Her
letter to the Marquis in self-defence — Brognina and Alda
Boiarda dismissed from her service — Tebaldeo attacks Mario
Equicola and Isabella — Indignation of the Marchesa — Her
letter to Cardinal d'Este — Duchess Elisabetta's reply.

While Julius the Second's life was slowly drawing
to its close, and Federico Gonzaga was sharing the
orgies of Cardinals and monkish buffoons in Rome,
his mother was spending a gay carnival at the
court of her nephew, Maximilian, Duke of Milan.
The Pope lost no time in inviting the young
prince to take possession of his father's duchy, and,
early in the autumn, Maximilian crossed the Alps
and came to Lombardy. But his formal restoration
was deferred until after the Bishop of Gurk's visit to
Rome. In November he paid a visit to Mantua,
where the Marchesa welcomed him with the greatest
affection, and a series of brilliant fetes were held in
his honour. From the first moment of their meeting,
Beatrice's son seems to have become genuinely
attached to his aunt, and she on her part exerted
herself to rouse the weak and indolent youth to a
sense of his high position and great opportunities.
But Maximihan's education had been sadly neg-
lected, and the poverty and dreariness of his long

80

MAXIMILIAN SFORZA RESTORED 81

years of exile had produced a bad effect upon his
character. He had grown up eccentric and sus-
picious, and was rarely seen to smile saving at the
tricks of dwarfs and clowns, for whom he showed
a childish passion. When he visited Mantua the
follies of a certain dwarf belonging to the Marchesa,
and known by the name of Nanino, pleased him
better than anything else ; and Lorenzo Strozzi, who
had lately arrived from Rome, wrote long accounts
to Federico of the freaks and escapades of this
favourite buffoon. One day Nanino came to meet
the Duke in episcopal vestments, with the most
solemn air in the world ; the next he appeared in the
robes of a Venetian patrician, while his hunting
exploits and hand-to-hand fight with a goat afforded
the Duke unbounded amusement.^

A month later Cardinal Gurk and the Viceroy of
Naples, Raimondo de Cardona, and Cardinal Schinner,
the leader of the Swiss forces, all came to Milan,
and took part in the Duke's state entry on the 20th
of December.^ The Marchesa had promised her
nephew to honour the New Year festivities with her
presence, and gladly embraced this opportunity of
pleading her brother Alfonso's cause with the Spanish
and Imperial ministers. One winter evening in
January, she entered Milan by torchlight, accompanied
by a brilliant train of courtiers and ladies. Among
them were Delia, who was for many years the
object of the young Marchese di Pescara's passionate
devotion ; Alda Boiarda, whose name is so often
mentioned in Bembo and Bibbiena's letters ; and the
still more fascinating Brognina, who had already won

1 Liizio, Buffhni, Nuova Antologia, 1891.

2 Prato, Cronaca Arch. St. It., iii. 309.
VOL. II. F

82 ISAEETJ.A VISITS MILAN

the hearts of Giirk and Cardona at M.intua in the
previous summer, A succession of banquets, jousts,
comedies, and balls followed, and the gaiety of these
entertainments was in no way diminished by the
shells that were discharged at intervals by the guns
of the French garrison which still held the Castello.
" Happily, the French guns had the courtesy to cease
when the tilting began I " wrote Isabella in a letter to
her husband, in which she describes a tournament
held in front of the Corte Vecchia, that old Sforza
palace near the Duomo. But on the second day of
the jousts, when the Marchese di Pescara distin-
guished himself by his valour, and the Duke and
Marchesa were again present, a sudden bombardment
from the Castello sent every one flying I ^ In another
letter Isabella describes a sumptuous banquet and
dramatic representation given by the Brescian Count
Brunoro, brother of Veronica Gambara, on the 25th of
January. The victory of the League and expulsion of
the French were celebrated in a series of tableaux and
musical recitations, and a stately oak — the emblem
of the Delia Rovere family — with an eagle's nest in
its topmost boughs, occupied the centre of the stage.
But the play itself was poor and very inferior, as
Isabella told her husband, to those performed at
Mantua. " I am certain," she wrote, " that any one
who has seen Your Excellency's comedies and fine
stage scenery must feel more ennui than pleasure at
the sight of such representations as these." ^ On this
occasion the Cardinal and Viceroy openly competed
for the fair maid of honour's favours. Both of them
endeavoured to kiss Brognina as she entered the

^ Prato, op. cit., 310.

2 D'Ancona, Teatro It., vol. ii.

THE SPANISH VICEROY 83

house, and Monsignore of Gurk, Isabella tells her
husband, so far forgot his dignity and office as to go
down on his knees before her. Another evening,
when Isabella invited the Duke and his illustrious
guests to a masked ball at her house, the Cardinal
danced twice with Brognina, and spent most of his
time in amorous discourse with her. That lady,
however, made no secret of her preference for
the Spanish Viceroy, who soon became her recog-
nised lover and sent a rich present of black and
crimson velvet in acknowledgment of her favours.
Isabella meanwhile made use of this opportunity to
gain the ear of the Emperor's favourite, and when,
after supper, the guests took off their masks, she
had a long talk with Cardinal Gurk on the subject
of Peschiera, a fortified town on the Lake of
Garda, which had formerly belonged to Mantua,
and which the Gonzagas were exceedingly anxious
to recover.^ Little faith, however, she owns, was
to be placed in Monsignore's promises ; but her
efforts on behalf of her brothers proved more suc-
cessful, and she was able to recover some letters
written by Cardinal Ippolito, betraying his strong
French sympathies, which had unluckily fallen into
the hands of the papal legate. In these delicate
matters Isabella had a skilful assistant in Francesco
Chiericati, a clever Vicentine humanist, who was
secretary to Cardinal Schinner, and afterwards rose to
high favour under Leo X. and his successors. Chieri-
cati was attached to the Gonzagas, who had shown
his family much kindness, and he informed the
Marchesa before her arrival of the existence of some
of these letters. *' After consulting Madonna Ippolita

1 Luzio, Arch. St. Lomb., 1901, p. l62.

84 HIS AMOURS WITH RROGT^INA

Sforza," he wrote to Isabella on the 29t]i of November,
" I burnt them all, feeling sure you would not wish
them to be preserv^ed." Isabella never forgot Chieri-
cati's service on tliis occasion, and always honoured
him with her friendship and regard.^

The Marchesa's own letters from Milan give many
curious instances of the jealousy with which the
Italians regarded the Spaniards, who were ready to
draw their swords at the least provocation, while
their greed and rapacity soon became proverbial. At
one ball given by the Duke in the Corte Vecchia,
not only were the gold buttons of his courtiers secretly
cut off, but Isabella herself, whose gown was adorned
with her favourite device of small gold candelabra,
lost several of these ornaments in the course of the
same evening.^

Political considerations, as well as her nephew's
pressing entreaties, induced Isabella to prolong her
visit until the beginning of March. But when the
news of the Pope's death reached her, and she heard
that her darling Federico was about to return, she
set out at once for Mantua. Unfortunately, reports
of the scandal excited by the Viceroy's amours with
the Marchesa's maid of honour had reached her
husband's ears, and before she left Milan Isabella
received an angry letter from the Marquis, reproaching
her for her prolonged absence, and telling her that
the disgraceful conduct of her ladies had made her
the common talk of the town. The frank and noble
letter in which Isabella replied to these accusations
has lately been discovered by Signor Luzio in the Gon-
zaga archives,^ and deserves to be given in full : —

* B. Morsolin, F. Chiericati, p. 124.
2 Luzio, op. ciL, p. l6l.
» Ibid., p. l64.

ISABELLA'S DEFENCE 85

" My dear Lord, — T am sorry but hardly surprised
to hear that you were not satisfied witli my explana-
tions* and I should be more so, if I felt this to be my
fault, as it certainly is my misfortune. But, since
the reason why I did not obey Your Excellency at
once was that, with your own permission, I wished to
help my brother and please my nephew, it seems to
me that you need not express so much dissatisfaction,
and I can only lament the unlucky fate which always
renders my actions displeasing to you. And I
certainly do not believe that I have done anything on
this Milanese journey, for which I deserve to become
' the common talk of the town.' I know that I have
acquired many new friends on your behalf, as well
as on my own, and that I have behaved as I ought
to do, and as I am always accustomed to behave, for,
thanks to the grace of my God and myself, I never
needed either to be controlled by others, or to be
reminded how to govern my actions. And, although
in other things I count for nothing, God has granted
me this grace, for which Your Excellency owes me
as much gratitude as ever any husband owed his wife,
and even if you loved and honoured me as much as
possible you could never repay my faithfulness. This
makes you sometimes to say that I am proud, because,
knowing how much I deserve of you and how little I
receive, I am tempted at times to alter my nature
and to appear different from what I am. But even
if you should always treat me badly, I would never
cease to do what is right, and the less love you show
me, the more I shall always love you, because, in
truth, this love is part of myself, and I became your
wife so young that I can never remember having
been witliout it. This being the case, I think that,

86 LETTER TO THE MARQUIS

without incurring your displeasure, I might be at
liberty to put off my return a fortnight, for the
reasons which I have already explained. Do not be
angry with me, and say that you do not believe I
wish to see you, as I have said in my letters, for if
my desire in this respect were satisfied, you would let
me see you much more often than I do in Mantua.
I commend myself once more to Your Excellency,
and beg your pardon for writing so long a letter.
From one who loves you as well as herself. — Isabella,
Marchesa di Mantoa^a." In Piacenza, the 12th
day of March, 1513.

This letter not only reveals the innate nobleness
and loyalty of Isabella's nature, and confirms our esti-
mate of her fine character, but also throws light on the
painful circumstances of her private Ufe during the
long and trying years of her husband's illness. The
unhappy man, suffering as he was from incurable
disease, and condemned to a life of enforced idleness,
sank into a querulous and fretful invalid, who
quarrelled with his servants and friends, worried his
wife incessantly over trifles, and complained bitterly
whenever she was absent. The patience with which
Isabella bore his caprices, the faithfulness with which
she carried out his wishes, and her affectionate solici-
tude for his health and anxious endeavours to amuse
and distract him, are evident from the almost daily
letters which she addressed to him during her journeys.
On this occasion, it must be admitted, the behaviour
of Brognina had given just cause for scandal ; and
although at Milan the Marchesa might think it pru-
dent to shut her eyes to her maid of honour's flirtations
with personages as exalted as Raimondo de Cardona
and Cardinal Gurk, she herself felt that it was no

MAIDS OF HONOUR DISMISSED 87

longer possible to keep the girl in her service. Ac-
cordingly, Brognina retired to a convent near Goito,
where she lived as the recognised mistress of the
Viceroy.^ But the effects of the Marquis Francesco's
displeasure did not end here. A few months later,
he dismissed the Marchesa's favourite maid of honour,
Alda Boiarda, the cousin of the Ferrara poet, Matteo
Boiardo, who had lived for ten years in her service,
and was as much beloved by Duchess Elisabetta and
Emiha Pia as by Giuliano dei Medici and Bibbiena.
This time, Isabella was deeply distressed, and she
interceded in vain for this devoted servant, who had
been her companion on so many journeys, and re-
mained her friend to the end. But the Marquis
sternly refused to listen to her entreaties, declar-
ing in a letter which he wrote to Isabella that Alda
had lighted a flame of discord in his household which
would not be extinguished in his lifetime, and saying
that no person so universally hated had ever left his
court.^ The Marchesa, on her part, did not forget
her friend, and wrote sadly to Alda's sister regretting
that she had been compelled to part from her, and
had been unable to do more for so dear and faithful a
companion.

The troubles among Isabella's ladies were followed
by a violent quarrel between two of her favourite men
of letters, the poet Tebaldeo and Mario Equicola, her
tutor. Mario's name, as we have seen, was frequently
linked, more in jest than earnest, with that of Isabella
Lavagnola, the sister of the Marchesa's old dancing-
master, and one of her most trusted attendants.
Many are the allusions to Isabella's charms and to

' Luzio in Arch. St. Lomb., 1901.

2 Luzio e Renier, Gium. St, d. Lett. It., 19OO,

88 TEBALDEO'S LAMPOON

Mario's supposed devotion for her in Bi])biena's letters,
and tlie Cardinal himself often declared that he be-
longed to the number of her most ardent admirers.
But her conduct and character seem to have been as
blameless as the Marchesa's own, and even Francesco
Gonzaga w^as furious when, on All Saints' Day, 1513,
a copy of scurrilous verses directed against Equicola
and Isabella was found nailed up on the walls in
different parts of Mantua. A strict inquiry was at
once instituted, and the deed was traced back to
Isabella's treasurer, Giulio Oldoino, who confessed
that the verses had been composed and sent to him
by Tebaldeo. The poet had left Mantua some time
ago, and was already suspected of being the author of
a similar lampoon which had appeared in Rome.
Oldoino excused himself for his share in this unworthy
act by saying that Mario was his enemy, and had
slandered him, and that he did not think the verses
could do the Marchesa or Isabella any real injury.
He was promptly dismissed for his pains, and that
although he had spent sixteen years in the Marchesa's
service, while Francesco Gonzaga addressed a furious
reprimand to the poet Tebaldeo, reproaching him with
the vilest ingratitude and threatening terrible ven-
geance. Isabella, on her part, wrote long letters to
Rome and Urbino, giving full accounts of the transac-
tion, and begging all her friends to withdraw their
favour from the poet who had stooped to such baseness.
The letter which she addressed to her brother.
Cardinal d'Este, who had returned to Rome, and
stood high in the new Pope's favour, is very charac-
teristic of her impetuous and affectionate nature,
and shows how keenly she resented this insult to
her innocent servant : —

ISABELLA'S INDIGNANT LETTERS 89

*' Most Reverend and dear Brother, — I believe
Your Reverend Highness heard that some time ago
a letter written by my tutor, Equicola, was surrep-
titiously stolen and printed with some additional lines
scoffing at Mario and my attendant, Isabella. I am
sure that you and every gentle lord and lady will have
severely blamed the vn-iter of these verses, which, I
confess, excited my serious displeasure, not on account
of Mario, who is well able to defend himself, but
because I objected that a member of my household
should be spoken of with so little respect. I was still
more amazed to see that I was accused by the writer
of having pronounced Mario's writings superior to
those of any living scholar. But since I could not
discover the author of this calumny, in spite of cer-
tain suspicions which crossed my mind from the first,
I resolved to bide my time, feeling certain that time
would reveal the name of the guilty man, and that he
would soon be found out and punished, as has indeed
happened, because on the Feast of All Saints, certain
sonnets, containing still more abusive slanders of
Mario and Isabella, were found fastened up on the
wall in many places of the town. One of these libels
I now enclose for Your Reverence to see. After this,
I could no longer submit to such indignity, and made
a strict inquiry, from which I discovered that the
verses had been sent from Bologna by that fine gen-
tleman Tebaldeo to my treasurer, Giulio Oldoino,
who could not deny the charge, and confessed that he
had ordered them to be put up in public places, and
excused himself by saying that Mario was his enemy,
and that he did not think the mention of Isabella
would hurt either her or me. I gave Giulio no other

90 TO CARDINAL D'ESTE

punishment than that of instant dismissal from my
service, where he has hved lionourably for the last
sixteen years, although he really deserved to be
treated with greater severity, since Isabella had never
done him any wrong, and he must have known how
much the verses would displease me. As for Tebaldeo,
all I desire is that you and all these lords and ladies
should know how ungratefully he has behaved to my
lord and myself, after being entertained and rewarded
by us during many years past, and that without hold-
ing any office at this court or doing us any service.
If Tebaldeo himself left your service because he was
so much affi-onted at seeing one of his boys in your
house punished, what, must he think, are my feelings
at seeing one of my most faithful maidens publicly
held up to ridicule by him ? Truly, his has been a
fine and noble invention, worthy of eternal fame 1 II
Mario's commentary on his works excited his envy,
he might have chosen some better way of answering
and confuting him than by slandering the honour of a
maiden, out of hatred for one who looks on love rather
as a theme for verse than a personal emotion, as I know
Your Highness and all the world are aware. ... I
beg you to communicate this fine trick of Tebaldeo's
invention to the Cardinals of Aragon [her uncle], of
S. Maria in Portico [Bibbiena], and the Magnifico
Giuliano, who will be no less wroth than I am for
the sake of his dear Margherita, who is Isabella's
sister. And because Giulio, in his examination, con-
fessed that other scurrilous verses of the same kind
were about to be published, I beg Your Highness to
inform Tebaldeo that, if he does not abstain from such
actions, he will soon feel the result of offending a

AND THE DUCHESS OF URBINO 91

sister of Your Excellency and of the Duke of Ferrara,
as well as the wife of the Marquis of Mantua." ^
Nov. 4, 1513.

Cardinal d'Este, who was one of Tebaldeo's chief
patrons, does not seem to have taken the matter very
seriously, and the poet's indiscretion did not prevent
him from enjoying the favour of Pope Leo X. and
the friendship of Raphael and Castiglione, of Bembo
and Bibbiena during many years to come. There
were others besides Tebaldeo who looked on Mario
as a tiresome pedant, and the poet's sally probably
provoked more laughter than wrath among the Mar-
chesa's friends in Rome. Even the gentle Duchess
Elisabetta seems to have considered Isabella's anger
somewhat excessive, and used her gentle influence to
soothe her sister-in-law's excited feelings. After con-
doling with the Marchesa on her natural annoyance,
and saying that no blame could possibly attach to
Mario or to Isabella, of whom she was particularly
fond, she went on : "I feel aU your sorrows, you
know, as if they were my own, but really, in this
case, the chief cause for regret seems to be the loss of
so old and trusted a servant as Giulio. Mario's
talents are too well known for envy to do him any
harm, while Isabella's goodness is manifest to all, and
this attack cannot sully her innocence. But who is
there among us whose conduct is so perfect as to
close the mouth of slanderers ? Their usual habit, I
have often noticed, is to attack those who are the
most praiseworthy and estimable. So I beg Your
Excellency to trouble yourself no more on the sub-
ject, but to allow the wrong to recoil on the heads of

1 V. Cian in Giorn. St. d. Lett. It., viii.

92 ETJSABETTA'S GENTLE ANSWEK

those who invent these slanders, and who, in my
judgment, are sufficiently punished hy seein/r how
hateful they become in the eyes of all virtuous and
honest persons. I will only thank you once more for
your loving words to me on this matter." ^

» V. Cian in Giom. St. d. iMt. It., viii.

CHAPTER XXVII

1513—1514

Invasion of Lombardy by the French — Their defeat by the Swiss
at Novara — Isabella's journey to Milan stopped by the illness
of the Marquis — Papal intrigues against Ferrara — Visit of
Raimondo de Cardona to Mantua — Journey of Isabella to the
Lago di Garda — Her letters from Lonato, Sermione, and
Sal6 — Trissino presents his " Ritratti " to her — Portrait of the
Marchesa introduced — Visit of Isabella to Milan and Pavia.

The insecure nature of the young Duke of Milan's
throne was soon shown. Hardly were the festivities
in honour of his accession ended than Milan was
attacked by a French army under La Tr^mouille
and Trivulzio, and only saved by the timely arrival of
a Swiss force, which defeated the invaders with great
loss at Novara. The French beat a hurried retreat
across the Alps, the Castello surrendered, and Maxi-
milian Sforza was once more restored to power. But
his weakness and incapacity, as well as the heavy taxes
which he extorted from his unfortunate subjects, in
order to pay the annual tribute demanded by his
Swiss supporters, and gratify his own extravagant
tastes, rendered his rule more and more unpopular.
He began to look with unfounded suspicion on his
younger brother Francesco, Duke of Bari, whose
popularity with the Milanese had from the first
excited his jealousy, and took every opportunity of
keeping him away from court. ^ In spite, however,

1 Prato, op. cit.
98

94 IIJ.NKSS OF FRANCESCO

of all his faults and follies, Isabella seems to have
been genuinely fond of her nephew, and at his earnest
request she consented to pay him another short visit
that autumn, and set out on her journey to Milan in
September. Her first halt was at Gazzuolo, where
her cousins, Madonna Antonia's beautiful daughters,
Susanna and Camilla, came out to meet her, and
conducted her with every demonstration of respect
and affection to the Rocca. Here she spent the
evening very pleasantly, and Madonna Camilla first
sang alone, accompanying herself on the viol " with
infinite grace," and afterwards she and her sister both
joined in duets. But when the Marchesa reached
Casalmaggiore, she received such bad accounts of her
husband's health that she altered her plans and re-
turned to Mantua.^ All through the winter Fran-
cesco Gonzaga was seriously ill, while his subjects
suffered severely from the presence of the German
and Venetian troops who overran his territory in
search of shelter and provisions. The news from
Rome also caused Isabella some uneasiness. The
Pope was known to entertain ambitious schemes for
the advancement of his family. Already, his nephew
Lorenzo— the son of Piero dei Medici — was practi-
cally despot of I'lorence, and King Ferdinand, it was
openly said, had suggested that Giuliano should re-
ceive the investiture of Ferrara. A visit which the
Viceroy of Naples and his Spanish suite paid to
Mantua that Carnival, had not removed the Marchesa's
anxiety, and whether this was owing to the affair of
Brognina or to political causes, Cardona had been
unusually silent and taciturn. At the same time,
the continued presence of the Spaniards in Lombardy

^ A. Pedrazzoli in Arch. St. Lotiib., 1890.

ISABELLA VISITS LAGO DI GARDA 95

aroused the fears of the Marquis, who, instead of
adding Peschiera to his dominions, was in constant
dread of losing his own possessions on the Riviera of
Garda. Under these circumstances, Isabella decided
to take advantage of the first spring days to visit her
husband's subjects in these regions, and left IMantua
with a train of ninety -three persons and eighty horses
on the 15th of March. The letters which she wrote
to the Marquis during this fortnight's absence give a
charming picture of her journey along the beautiful
lake, and show us that, at the age of forty, Isabella's
delight in natural beauty was as fresh and spontaneous,
and her enjoyment of all the little incidents of travel as
keen as when she was a bride of sixteen.

From Goito she wrote, on the evening of her
arrival, saying how she had been received by the
Castellan of the Rocca, and after visiting his new-
born child, had enjoyed a walk in the green meadows
on the banks of the Mincio. The next day she dined
at the villa of Cavriana, one of her favourite summer
residences, and went on the same afternoon to Lonato,
from which her next letter was written, on the 17th
of March.

*' I arrived here about six o'clock, having driven
over from Cavriana in a chariot, and felt broken to
pieces by jolting over the stones I But after a good
night's rest, I have recovered, and am quite well this
morning. A troop of horse rode out to meet me at
Solferino, and further on I found one hundred foot
soldiers and a number of children, with olive branches
and banners bearing our arms, shouting your name
and mine. The city gates were hung with evergreens
and banners, and at the Town House, where I am
staying, I found many ladies waiting to receive me.

96 LETTERS FROM LONATO

The chief citizens came this morning to pay me their
respects, and express their regret that, owing to the
time of year, tliey were unable to receive me with
greater festivities. They defrayed all my expenses in
the most liberal manner, and are good Gonzageschi
who will never fail you. You can see into their
hearts I I tell Your Excellency this, to confirm you
in your good opinion of these loyal subjects. This
morning I went to the Church of the Annunciation,
which belongs to the Brothers Minor, and is a quiet
and pleasant spot. After dinner I visited the Rocca,
which I will not describe, as I know you have been
there, but must tell you that I never saw a finer
situation, and I made them tell me the names of all
the countless towns which you can see from the top
of the hill, to my great amusement I If you decide to
build a villa there, you will be quite right, for it is the
most delightful place in the world ! All my com-
panions say the air is perfect, and Capilupi especially
says that his head and eyes and ears, which have lately
given him so much pain, feel better than they have
done for long. From the Rocca I went by the gate
of Cittadella, to the Church of S. Zeno, past the
saw-mills, and enjoyed the sight of the clear stream
and the vineyards and fields, which are so well
cultivated that they seem to be all gardens. I came
back into the town feeling the greatest satisfaction, and
am sure, my dear Lord, if you could come and spend
some days in this pure air, it would do you all the
good in the world. To-morrow I dine at Maguzano
with the venerable Fathers, and on Sunday hope to
sup at Sermione. I am glad my letter pleased you,
and am still more delighted to hear your new pills
suit you. Pray let me know how they answer, and

BEAUTY OF SERMIONE 97

God grant they may do you lasting good I I thank
Your Excellency with all my heart for the good news
you give me regarding the safety of my brother the
Duke, because I still felt alarmed at the Viceroy's
taciturn manner. Now for a real miracle, without
which I cannot end this letter ! Yesterday, when
the salute was fired in honour of our entry, a ball of
lead passed right through the cloak, vest, and shirt
of Zanino Mereschalchi, mthout touching or hurting
his arm or any part of his body. I think this is a
good augury, and shows that you will keep this city
which you value so much." ^

The next two letters were written from Sermione,
the classic promontory sung by Catullus in Roman
days. Isabella was enchanted, as might be expected,
with the beauty of the spot, and with the wide view
over the blue lake and mountains from the ancient
citadel built by the Scaligeri princes in the fourteenth
century.

" Yesterday," she wrote on the 19th, " I went
to Maguzano, and dined in that charming place,
where the good Fathers entertained me very kindly,
and I saw many fine mountains on the way back.
To-day I came to Sermione, where these poor people
received me joyfully, and Girolamo Archano took
me over the Rocca and showed me the plan of the
new lodgings which you think of building, and which
will be very fine. Since you ask for my advice, I
told Girolamo — merely to obey your wishes, since
really nothing is wanting — to make another room in
the tower, as he will tell you. I am sure you are
right to build a dwelling-house here, for this place
is simply the most beautiful in the world. I went

^ A. Pedrazzoli, op. cit.

VOL. II. a

98 THE ROCCA

round the promontory in a boat, and see that the
house will look very well from the lake, and mean
to climb the hill to-morrow to consider the subject
more closely. If I ever longed to see Your Excel-
lency restored to health, I do so now, in order that
you might be able to enjoy these dehcious scenes.
But your letter of to-day troubles me sadly, and
makes me fear that the pills have not done you as
much good as you had hoped. But you must not
be disappointed at this, because medicine does not
act upon us as quickly as we expect ; and now the
fine weather is coming, I feel sure that, with careful
diet, your health will soon improve. God grant this 1
I will not hide from you that I have taken bodily
possession of this place. For in descending the steps
of the Rocca, which were wet after a little shower
of rain, my foot slipped and I fell three steps, without
hurting myself in the least, and only laughed at the
flowery speeches of the Vicar, who said that perhaps
my fall was caused by my excessive admiration for the
beauty of the view I Certainly the situation of the
Rocca is splendid, but the rooms are so dark and
small that I am obliged to lodge in the priest's house,
where there is only one room in which I have to
eat and sleep ; so you must make haste and build
some fine lodgings. One of my maidens has also
taken possession of Lonato I for the mule which
Livia rode on the way from Maguzano ran away
and she fell off, one foot remaining in the stirrup
and the other in the air, so that she made a most
ridiculous figure, and if the others had not come
to her help quickly, she would have broken her
neck. Thank God, she was not hurt 1 TraveUing
would be very dull if such absurd accidents did not

ROMAN REMAINS 99

sometimes happen I My headache and sore throat
are nearly gone. I hope to enjoy this lovely spot
to-morrow, and Your Excellency may be sm-e that I
shall be happy, and I thank you again for allowing
me to come here, and for sending me good accounts
of Federico and the other children."

"To resume my tale," the Marchesa continued
two days later: "Yesterday I climbed the hill to
see the Roman ruins, and entered the grottoes to
examine them thoroughly. They are truly marvel-
lous, especially to some one hke myself who has not
seen Rome, and I do not wonder that the Romans
loved this place and chose it for their pleasure-houses,
because it is most beautiful and worthy of noble
villas. If God gives Your Excellency health, and
we are able to come back together and enjoy these
places in peace, we ought to build a Casino, not
for the fame of the State, but for pleasure and de-
lightful conversation. I spent all day on foot or
horseback, contemplating the ruins or the view.
To-day I have been to Peschiera, stopping to visit
the sanctuary of the Madonna of the Ash-trees, who
is said to work so many miracles. I saw many
images and ex votos, and the beginnings of a fine
church, in which I prayed earnestly for Your Ex-
cellency's health. Afterwards I rode through the
town and found the Castellan, a Spanish captain,
who courteously took me into the Rocca, where,
seeing that he had only twelve or fifteen men of
small stature, I and my ladies could easily have
taken him and his troops prisoners, and made myself
mistress of the place, without much blasphemy on
the part of the King of France or the Emperor,
since the Spaniards hold it unjustly I The situation

100 THE RIVIERA DI SALO

of Lonato, I repeat, is fine, that of Sermione is finer,
but that of Peschiera is the finest of all. And so
we must do our utmost to recover the place. I
confess that I returned to Sermione in a fit of bad
temper, which is not yet over, thinking of the great
wrong which has been done us, and seeing how
useless the place is to the Catholic king, and how
pleasant and useful it would be to us. But I will
say no more about this now. To-morrow I shall
visit the island of the Friars Minor, and go on to
sleep at Sal5. That Spanish Governor told me that
I could easily find rooms there, and courteously
invited me to visit the place. Afterwards, I shall
return along this shore, while the weather is fine,
although it is too early to find anjrthing to enjoy
here, excepting the pure air. I would have sent
you some fish, but know you do not eat it, nor any
fruit, and indeed very little fish has been caught,
and since I have been here I have not seen a single
sardine. They say that the air is too clear and the
winds are in the wrong quarter."

The next day Isabella rowed across to the little
island and saw the ancient church, built by St.
Francis on the ruins of a temple of Jupiter, and
crossed over to the picturesque Riviera, where the
tall church and roofs of Salo nestle among orange
and lemon groves, at the foot of Monte Pennino.
On the 23rd, she gave the Marquis her usual account
of her doings : —

"Yesterday, as I told you, I went to the Isola
dei Frati. The place and situation are both fine,
but badly supplied with fruit and delicacies — how
could it be otherwise? The Friars welcomed me
warmly, and the captain of Salo, Guglielmo di

A SPANISH GOVERNOR 101

Castiglio, a cliamberlain and creature of the Viceroy,
came there to meet me with many followers and
boats, and made me very courteous offers of service.
I took him and another Spanish officer in my boat,
and his own followed, with more than twenty-five
others, all heavily laden. There was much beating
of drums, and blowing of trumpets, and prolonged
shouts of Turco ! Gonzaga ! Isabella ! They es-
corted me to Sal6, and I rowed along under the
shore to see the view, which is most beautiful. I
landed at the Town-house, where the captain and
a great crowd of people had already assembled, so
much so, indeed, that I felt quite bewildered. All
the citizens welcomed me with acclamation, and both
in the hall of the Town-house and under a loggia on
the shore of the lake were tables laden with baskets
of apples, pears, fresh grapes, boxes of sweetmeats,
marzipane, wax, confetti^ and dishes of every kind
of fish, in large quantities. The chief citizens made
me long and fine speeches, and I repUed with many
compliments on behalf of Your Excellency, in whose
name these honours were paid me, and perhaps some
day we may find it useful to have them for our
friends. After I reached my rooms, the captain,
who had taken leave of me at the door, sent me a
fine present of fish, apples, and fresh grapes. I did
not remember him, but he says that he came to
Mantua with the Viceroy, and again with Celindo
(the Viceroy's chamberlain) to arrange Brognina's
affair, and he was very courteous and pleasant. To-
day I am staying here to see the place, and visit
the convents of friars and sisters. To-morrow I
shall drive to Grignano to see Tusculano and the
other gardens, and if it is fine return by water.

102 TRISSINO'S RITRATTI

Saturday being the Feast of the Annunciation, I
shall attend divine service with these sisters. On
Sunday I mean to row across the lake and sleep
at Laciso, to see the other shore, and on Monday I
shall go to Peschiera, and so return to Mantua. I
will say no more, only that each time I see another
lovely spot, I wish most earnestly that you may be
restored to health and come here with me.

" P.S. — I have found nothing on this Riviera
likely to please you, excepting some young kids, of
which I send you four, hoping you will enjoy them
for my sake. We shall eat the fish, as so few have
been caught. The men of Sermione will take the
kids alive to Mantua."

It was at Sal5, on this sunny Lady-day, that
Isabella received the gift of Giangiorgio Trissino's
new volume of Ritratti, or Portraits of the Ladies of
Italy, in which he pays her a splendid tribute.^ This
learned Vicenza poet, the intimate friend of Bembo,
and the foremost humanist of the day, first met the
Marchesa at Milan in 1507, and received much kind-
ness from her when he was driven from his native
city by the cruel wars that ravaged Venetia.

During these long years of exile, he often sought
shelter at Mantua, and Isabella recommended him
alike to Cardinal Gurk and to her brother and friends
in Rome. Trissino was deeply attached to Margherita
Pia, the sister of Emilia Pia and of Alda, the mother
of Veronica Gambara, and after the death of her first
husband, Antonio di Sanseverino, wooed this charm-
ing lady during many years. But although she was
sincerely attached to Trissino, and called herself a
Margherita infelicissima in his absence, she refused to

^ B, Morsolin, V^ita di G. G. Trissino.

PORTRAIT OF ISABELLA 103

marry again, and ended her days in a convent at
Carpi. The poet had another patron in Isabella's
devoted friend, Margherita Cantelma, the widowed
Duchess of Sora, who had accompanied her on this
occasion to Garda. As they travelled along the
shores of the fair lake, Margherita told the Marchesa
of the new book which the Vicentine poet had com-
posed — a symposium in the style of Castiglione's
Cortigiano on the fair women of ancient and modern
times. The scene is laid in the Cantelma Palace at
Ferrara, and one of the speakers, Vincenzo Magr^,
after enumerating the beauties of Milan and Ferrara,
Florence and Vicenza, paints a glowing picture of an
unknown lady whom he saw descend from her chariot
in the streets of Milan and go into the Duomo with
a prayer-book open in her hand. " Neither Man-
tegna, nor Vinci, nor yet Apelles could ever do her
justice. Petrarch has best described her in his lines :
Una Donna piii bella assai che'l sole. So she dawned
upon my eyes, a lady more radiant than the sun, with
golden hair falling on her shoulders, loosely caught up
in a tan-coloured silk net, with knots of fine gold,
through which her locks shone like bright rays of
light ; a sparkling ruby and large pearl glittered on
her forehead, a rope of pearls hung from her neck to
her waist, her black velvet robe was embroidered in
gold — in short, everything she wore was the work of
the finest craftsmen." Here the second speaker, who
is no less a personage than Pietro Bembo, the prince
of humanists, breaks in : " Say no more ! I know the
lady of whom you speak — Madonna, the Marchesa of
Mantova, who is honoured and loved by the whole
world. But you have only seen her once, while I
have often spoken with her, and can tell of her

104 BOOK PRESENTED TO ISABELLA

sweetness and goodness, and virtues, which are far
beyond tlie adorning of gold and jewels. I have
heard her voice, which, in the words of Petrarch, is a
thing chiara, soave, angelica, e divina. It would have
charmed Orpheus and Amphion themselves by its
entrancing sweetness. . . . And if you had once heard
her sing to the lute you would, like the Sirens, forget
home and country to follow its enchanted melody.
. . . Truly, God has given her all the gifts of all the
Muses, all the treasures of Castaly and Parnassus ;
but, above all, she loves poetry, as is meet for a prin-
cess who reigns over the land of Virgil." After this,
he goes on to praise the beauty of her home, its fair
and stately fabric adorned with superb hangings, the
charming little rooms full of rare books and beautiful
pictures, of antique and modern sculpture, of cameos,
medals, and gems, and ends by declaring her worthy
to rank with the wisest women of ancient Hellas,
with Nausicaa and Sappho and Corinna, with Penelope
and Alcestis.^

Isabella's curiosity was naturally much excited
when she heard from her friend's Hps of Trissino's
work, and Margherita wrote to desire the poet to send
it to her without delay. So the precious manuscript,
richly bound and accompanied by a letter and dedi-
catory epistle in verse, reached the Marchesa at Salo
on the Feast of the Annunciation, and she ac-
knowledged the gift in a grateful letter written on
the same day : —

" Magnifico Amico, — Your letter, verses, and Uttle
book could not have found us in a fairer and more
appropriate spot than this Riviera di Garda, where we
now are, able to give ourselves wholly to poetry and

* G. Trissino, Ritratti.

ON LADY-DAY 105

meditation. We accept them gladly, both as your
composition, and, in our opinion, most elegant and
ingenious, although indeed your praises of us far
exceed the truth. But, as the common proverb says,
' If you do not speak the truth, none the less your
words please me,' and we shall count them dear as
coming from so learned and noble a writer, and will
not pubUsh the secret of their authorship to others,
since this is your wish, as it is also our own. We
should like you to alter some particulars in the de-
scription of our person, which we will point out when
we meet. We wish that you could have brought
the book to us yourself, because we are exceedingly
anxious to see you and enjoy your company before
you go to Rome, but the coming of the Spaniards to
Mantua for the Carnival, and our journey to this lake,
prevented us from sending you an invitation, while
preparations for your visit to Rome hindered you
from coming to see us. But another time we will
take care that your pleasure shall be ours, and your
convenience agreeable to us. We wish you a good
journey, and if we can in any way obhge you, do not
scruple to ask our good offices, which will be always
at your disposal. We do not now send you anything
in return for your beautiful book, having nothing
worthy of you, but Your Magnificence knows that
the heart feels more than the tongue can speak, and
later on we shall hope to thank you in person. Mean-
while, you will hear of us more fully from Signora
INIargherita Cantelma, and since we do not know how
your affairs at Vicenza are prospering, you must tell
us if we can help you, and may always depend on our
goodwill. Benevalete"^ Salo, 25th March 1514.

* A. Pedrazzoli, op. cit. ; B. Morsolin, op. cit.

106 PEDANTIC ORATIONS

On the same evening, Isabella sent her husband
the following lively letter, in which politics and grave
questions of state are mingled with amusing accounts
of her own experiences and adventures : —

" Your Excellency acts Uke a prudent doctor, and
gives me pink sugar to take away the bitter taste of
your medicine 1 If my stomach was upset by the last
news you sent me, your letter of yesterday has quite
settled it again. I am truly glad to hear that the
Duke of Milan's affairs are in a less dangerous con-
dition than you feared, and that those of my brother
the Duke have come safely into port, and also that
the Pope appears to be so well-disposed towards our
own State. I thank Your Excellency exceedingly,
and kiss your hand and lips for sending me all this
good news, which will make me enjoy this beautiful
land more than ever, thanks to your goodness and
kindness. Yesterday I was at Grignano, where the
inhabitants entertained me with gifts of fish and
pomegranates, and also with a long Italian oration
delivered by a tiresome pedant in the most ornate
language. Nor let Your Signory imagine that this
was the first, although it certainly was the most
wonderful, to which I have had to hsten. At
Lonato, I heard three : two in Italian, spoken by the
citizens, and one in Latin, delivered by a child of
seven ! At Sermione, two more from the Sindaco of
the Commune, and a third from the Vicar. Here at
Salo, two of medium excellence — neither too exquisite
nor yet too vulgar — but more useful, since they were
accompanied by a fine present, as I told Your Ex-
cellency. All along this Riviera they receive me
with royal honours, as a Magnifica Signora ! I spent
to-day visiting churches and convents, and attended

LOYALTY OF THE PEOPLE 107

high mass at the chief church, which is much finer
than any of ours in Mantua, and has a large college
of priests and singers. This is reaUy a dehghtful
place, and I do not wonder that Rouen (Cardinal
d'Amboise) appropriated it to his own use, and that
Gurk, out of rivalry, tried to acquire it for himself !
I have enjoyed the lovely scenery and fine air of aU
these places extremely, and the weather has been very
kind to me, but all the more delicate fruit trees have
been killed by the severity of the two last winters. I
fill the sheet with these trifles, because I have nothing
better to say I To-morrow we go back to Sermione,
and have given up Laciso, because the accommodation
is too bad. Then we shall return to Mantua, where
I trust I may find Your Excellency in better health
than when you wrote last, as I still hope that this
spring weather may do you good. And may God
have mercy on you ! "

The next day Isabella rowed back across the
lake to Sermione, since it was impossible to find
lodgings for so large a suite in the villages on the
eastern side of the lake, at the foot of Monte Baldo.
From here she wrote a last letter to her husband : —

" I read your letter of yesterday, in reply to mine,
with great pleasure, since you speak of some improve-
ment in your health, and hope, now that the spring
has come and you can take change of air, you will go
on improving steadily. This afternoon I came here,
and have been more enthusiastically welcomed than
ever by the poor people, who came out in their boats
and small crafts, hung with laurels, to meet me, and
greeted me with much shouting and ringing of bells.
Certainly these poor feUows show great affection for
Your Excellency. If I had allowed it, they would

108 ISABELLA VISITS MILAN

have entertained me entirely at their own expense.
The governor of the Commune accompanied me to
Sal6 with two boats, and kept them there for the use
of my household, and now they have made me a fresh
present of fish. I tell Your Excellency this, to show
you how loving and faithful they are. To-day has
not been without its event, for this evening my page,
Rodolfo, was about to jump from the bridge of the
Rocca to the drawbridge, when a wooden post sud-
denly gave way and he fell into the moat. Luckily
I saw him fall, and had a pole thrown down, by which
he kept himself from sinking till a rope could be let
dovni to draw him up, and this prompt help, together
with his own agility, saved his life. He was not in
the least hurt, but it was fortunate I was near the
bridge, or perhaps no one would have seen him
fall. To-morrow I spend here, Tuesday we go to
Gdito, and on Wednesday hope to be back at
Mantua." ^

Isabella had not been at home many weeks before
pressing invitations reached her from her nephew
Maximilian, who declared if she did not come this
time, he would appear at Mantua with his Swiss
troops, and carry her off by force. At length, she
obtained her husband's leave to pay him her long-
deferred visit, and in the early summer days she set
out for Milan with a great train of ladies and courtiers.
The whole city turned out to meet her, and greeted
her with enthusiastic acclamations as she rode up
through the gates where the Moro and Beatrice had
often welcomed her, into the Castello of the Sforzas.
Here the Duke entertained her as before with a round
of festivities, and took her with him to Pavia, which

^ A. Peilrazzoli, op. cit.

FOR THE LAST TIME 109

she had not seen since those brilliant days of old. It
was for the last time ; Maximilian's throne was
already tottering to its fall, and before the year was
over he had been driven into exile, and the victor
of Marignano was reigning in his stead.

CHAPTER XXVIIl

1514—1516

Isabella's visit to Rome — Her reception by Cardinal Bibbiena and
Giuliano dei Medici — Fetes in her honour — Representation
of "La Calandria" in the Vatican — Her visit to Naples —
Leo X. keeps her in Rome for the carnival — Her return to
Mantua and regrets for Rome — Francis I, attacks Milan —
Victory of Marignano — Abdication of Maximilian Sforza —
Federico Gonzaga at the French Court — Death of Giuliano —
Conquest of Urbino by Lorenzo dei Medici — Flight of the
Duke and Duchesses to Mantua.

In the autumn of 1514, one of Isabella's most cherished
and long-delayed wishes was at length fulfilled, and
for the first time in her life she went to Rome. Since
the accession of Leo X. she had received pressing
invitations from her friends. Cardinal Bibbiena and
Pietro Bembo, but had been compelled to defer her
visit owing to Francesco's ill-health. During that
summer, however, his condition showed some signs
of improvement, while the alarming rumours which
came from Rome of the Pope's designs against
Ferrara and Urbino increased Isabella's anxiety to
cultivate the PontifTs friendship. Accordingly she
started for Rome early in October, and was met at
Bolsena by Giuliano dei Medici, Cardinal Bibbiena,
and rUnico Aretino. Since his brother Pietro
Accolti's elevation to the Cardinalate, the vanity of
this popular improvisatore knew no bounds. He
spoke openly of that prelate as the next Pope, and

110

ISABELLA IN ROME 111

announced that he himself would not be satisfied
with anything short of the crown of Naples and the
hand of the widowed Duchess. On this occasion he
declared that he held a papal bull empowering him
to act as commissioner in bringing the Marchesa
to Rome ; upon which Bibbiena and Giuliano en-
deavoured to mystify him by pointing out first one
lady of Isabella's suite, then another, as the Marchesa,
Until he was about to give up the search in despair.
When at length he discovered the trick which his
companions had played upon him, he broke into a
furious passion, and his rage excited the merriment of
the whole company.

On the 18th of October, Isabella entered Rome,
and received the most cordial welcome from Pope
Leo and all the members of the Sacred College.
During the next six weeks her time was spent in
visiting the remains of ancient Rome and the wonders
of the Vatican. She saw with her own eyes the
statues of which she had heard so much from
Cristoforo Romano and Bembo and her own son
Federico, and realised all that Castiglione and
Bibbiena had said of the sublime greatness of Michel
Angelo's creations and of the surpassing grace
and perfection of Raphael's art. She chmbed the
Capitol with the thought of Mantegna's Triumphs
in her heart, and looked down from the Loggia of
the Belvedere on the purple plains of the Cam-
pagna and the Alban Hills. She knelt with deep
devotion at the shrine of the Prince of the Apostles,
and walked in Angelo Colocci's famous gardens
on the slopes of the Pincio and Quirinal, attended
by the foremost scholars of the day. Bembo and
Bibbiena, Sadoleto and Castiglione were the com-

112 CHIGl AND RAPHAEL

panions of her daily walks and rides in the Eternal
City. The learned librarian of the Vatican, Tommaso
Inghirami, the Pheedrus of the humanists, became
one of the Marchesa's greatest admirers, while Colocci
discussed Provencal poetry with her, and asked her to
accept a copy of his rare book on the Limousin poets.
Chigi entertained her at magnificent feasts in his new
villa, where the costliest wines and rarest delicacies
were served on the most exquisitely wrought gold
and silver plate, in halls adorned by the first painters
of the day. There Isabella saw Raphael's beautiful
fresco of the milk-white Galatea driving her chariot
on the waves, which was the wonder and delight of all
the humanists in Rome and Urbino. And Raphael
himself was in all Hkelihood the Marchesa's guide
among the excavations, and showed her the wonder-
ful paintings and stuccoes which had been lately
brought to light in the Baths of Titus and the Golden
House of Nero. Isabella certainly met the great
master, who was then at the height of his fame and
had recently been appointed architect of St. Peter's
by the Pope. And as he talked with her of the old
days of Urbino, of his father, who had painted her
portrait, and of his first patrons, the good Duke and
Duchess, she begged him with a charming smile
to paint a little Madonna for her whenever he had
a few spare moments. Of course Raphael, who was
" la gentilezza stessa" promised gladly, and then
went back to his frescoes and buildings and his
plans of ancient Rome, and forgot all about the
Marchesa and her picture.

Cardinals and princes vied with each other in
doing their illustrious guest honour, and entertained
her at sumptuous banquets or dainty little suppers,

"LA CALANDRIA" 113

where the Aretine recited his latest verses and the

Pope's pet buffoon, Fra Mariano, indulged in those

mad freaks that afforded His Holiness such infinite

amusement and made his guests laugh till the tears

ran down their cheeks. But the most memorable of

all the entertainments that were given in Isabella's

honour was the representation of Cardinal Bibbiena's

•' Calandria " before the Pope in the Vatican.^ This

comedy had been acted for the first time at Urbino

on the 6th of February 1513, under the direction of

Castiglione, who himself described the performance in

a well-known letter to Cardinal Lodovico di Canossa.

The play, an evident imitation of the " Mensechmi "

of Plautus, deals with the ridiculous adventures of a

twin brother and sister, whose love intrigues and

mistakes afford plenty of material for that broad farce

in which the Cardinal's contemporaries took unfaihng

dehght. On this occasion the scenery was painted

by the Siena master, Baldassarre Peruzzi, and was of

the most elaborate kind. Vasari expatiates on the

beauty and variety of the spectacle, on the streets,

palaces, temples, loggias, and piazzas, all in admirable

perspective, that were cleverly introduced into this

limited space, in such a manner as to give the

impression of a city of great size and extent. The

interludes of ballets and tableaux, transformation

scenes and allegorical representations were planned

on the most gorgeous scale, and the music of flutes

and viols and sweet voices of the singers were blended

exquisitely with the melodies of the Pope's new organ,

that splendid instrument which had been recently

made for him and brought to Home by Lorenzo da

Pavia.

1 D'Ancona, op. cit., ii. 88.
VOL. II. H

114 ISABELLA AT NAPLES

Towards the end of November, Isabella paid a
visit to Naples, and saw the stately palaces and de-
licious gardens of that ftiir city where her grandfather,
uncles, and cousin had reigned in turn, and which
was now the home of the Spanish Viceroy. The
only member of her mother's family whom she found
here was her old friend and cousin, Isabella of
Aragon, the widowed Duchess of Milan, with her sole
surviving daughter. Bona Sforza. It was probably
owing to Isabella d'Este's intervention that this
young princess was betrothed about this time to
her cousin, Maximilian, the young Duke of Milan.
But this proposed union, which gave her mother
unfeigned joy, never took place, and three years after
Maximilian's exile. Bona married the King of Poland,
and went to hve at Cracow. This youthful princess
always retained an affectionate remembrance of the
Marchesa, and in 1522, wrote to thank Isabella for
sending her the specimens of latest Milanese finery
and Mantuan news, addressing her as "the fount
and origin of all the beautiful fashions in Italy." ^

In spite of these altered conditions Isabella greatly
enjoyed the weeks which she spent at Naples, and
was feted alike by Neapolitan princes and Spanish
grandees. In the following short letter to her
beloved Federico she briefly alludes to some of the
gaieties with which her days are filled : —

"To my dearest and eldest son Federico. Your
letter of the 22nd gave me great pleasure. I am
glad to see that your generous spirit yields to none
in point of courtesy, and that you follow your illus-
trious father's example by being splendid and liberal.
I can only exhort you to persevere in the same

1 Luzio in Arch. St. Lomb., I90I, p. 171.

COLONNA AND PESCARA 115

course, which will be to us a source of continual
joy. For an account of our amusements here, I
must refer you to Benedetto Capilupi's letter, in
which all my doings are fully described. To-day I
have made him give an account of the banquet
that was given us by the Count of Chiaramonte,
son of the Prince of Bisignano. We wished you
could have been present to see how gallantly he
entertained me, and realise how fine a thing it is
to serve ladies and be able to turn your hand to
everything at the right time. Keep well, and
embrace your brothers and sisters for me."^ Naples,
November 8, 1514.

Among the nobles by whom the Marchesa was
splendidly entertained were Fabrizio Colonna, who
had not forgotten the generous treatment shown
him by Alfonso d'Este after the battle of Ravenna,
and his daughter Vittoria's husband, the Marchese
di Pescara. This brilliant young soldier had re-
peatedly visited his wife's relatives at Mantua, and
had received great kindness from Isabella. More
than this, he was deeply enamoured of her charming
maid-of-honour, Delia, whom he had lately met at
Milan, and who was now at Naples with her mistress.
This attachment, which Pescara's noble and de-
voted wife seems never to have suspected, proved
more lasting than most liaisons of the kind. The
Marquis kept up an active correspondence with
Delia, and sent her love letters of the most passionate
nature. In February 1522, when he was lying
wounded in the Rocchetta at Milan, he wrote
to Mario Equicola praying to be commended
to the Marchesa, whose hand he longs to kiss,

1 D'Arco, Notizie d' Isabella, p, 317.

116 CARNIVAL IN ROME

and adds : " Of Delia I dare say nothing, since I
have served her so long." Again in May he speaks
of her in a letter from Naples, saying : " God grant
that I may see her once more before I die." ^
If Vittoria ever became aware of the Marchese's
passion for Isabella's fair maid -of -honour, the
knowledge certainly never altered her love for her
husband, to whom she remained absolutely devoted,
and whose premature death in 1525, she mourned
with the truest and most enduring sorrow.

Meanwhile the Marchesa's return was eagerly
awaited in Rome, where, by the Pope's orders, a
series of new comedies was prepared for her amuse-
ment, one of them being the " Andria " of Terence,
which had been twice performed at Mantua in
1513. But it seems doubtful if the idea of re-
peating the " Calandria," to which Agostino Gonzaga
alludes in a letter of the 15th of December, was
carried out. By the Pope's command, Pietro
Bembo wrote to the Marquis of Mantua in January,
begging him to allow the Marchioness to remain
at Rome for the carnival fetes, a request which
Francesco felt himself unable to refuse. His Holi-
ness had his way, and all the Cardinals rejoiced
" Here," wrote Pietro Bembo, " we have had the
gayest of carnivals, thanks to the presence of the
Signora Marchesana." ^ Isabella's society, as the
Pope and his pleasure - loving Cardinals declared,
supplied the one element that was lacking at the
papal court. "All Rome," wrote Cardinal Bib-
biena to Giuliano dei Medici, who had gone to
France to wed a princess of Savoy — "all Rome

1 Luzio, F. Colonna Rivista Mantovana, 1881.

2 Lettered iii. 47.

ISABELLA'S REGRETS 117

says that nothing is wanting here but a Madonna
to hold a court." The wedding, which had been
delayed by the death of Louis XI L on the 1st of
January, was solemnised in February, and the Pope
was anxious that Isabella should remain in Rome
to assist at the festivities in honour of the newly-
married pair. But her sick husband was growing
restless and impatient at his wife's prolonged absence,
and as soon as the carnival fetes were over, the
Marchesa tore herself reluctantly away from Rome
and turned homewards. On the way she spent a
few days at Florence, where she was sumptuously
entertained at the Pope's expense, and lodged in the
Medici Palace. After this she travelled by rapid
stages to Ferrara, and reached Mantua on the
18th of March. That evening she wrote a letter
full of regrets and affectionate messages to
Bibbiena : —

"I am here in Mantua, but all my heart is in
Rome. At least 1 can feel that I have obeyed
and satisfied my husband. But only think how
different these Httle rooms and the life I lead here
are from the Vatican halls and the life which I led in
Rome I My body, as I repeat, is here, but my soul
is there ! In spirit I am still taking walks with
you, enjoying your conversation and that of the
other Lord Cardinals, and kissing the feet of His
Holiness. With such fond imaginations I try and
deceive myself, and spend the time with less ennui,
while I await an occasion to serve Your Most
Reverend Highness, in return or at least in recog-
nition of the infinite obligations which your kindness
has laid upon me." ^

^ Luzio e Renier, Mantova e Urbino, p. 215.

118 CARDINAL BIBBIENA

Many were the gifts which she sent to Bembo
and Bibbiena during the next few months —
dishes of salmon-trout from Garda, and boxes
of the rare perfumes which excited the envy
of all Bembo's friends. But the most singular
present, and one of those which these luxurious
Monsignori appreciated the most, was a quilt of
choice feathers and richly embroidered satin, which
the Marchesa sent to Cardinal Bibbiena that
autumn. In December, Bembo wrote begging her,
as she loved her old friend, to give him a similar
quilt, that he may enjoy the same refreshing slumber
and dream the same happy dreams. To this valued
gift the Cardinal alludes in a long and intimate
letter, which shows that Isabella had not neglected
any opportunities of pleading her brother's cause
and advancing the interests of her husband's State
during the gay Carnival that she spent in Rome.
In the course of this letter, which was written from
Florence when in the following spring he accompanied
Leo X. to his native city, Bibbiena says : —

"Your Excellency, in her kind and courteous
letter, tells me that she has so much idle time on
her hands that she is ready to make a present of
it to the first comer, which seems a difficult thing to
believe, knowing as I do that even if you had no
other occupation than your own wise and charming
thoughts, you could never be idle. In truth, like
that old Roman (was it Scipio ?) who was never less
alone than when alone. Your Excellency may say
you are never idle when you are most idle. I showed
your letter to His Holiness, who read it very gladly,
and with more praises of you than I can possibly
express, saying that the affairs of your brother, the

HIS GOOD ADVICE 119

Duke, were already arranged according to your de-
sire, and could not be altered. Towards this happy
settlement His Holiness was from the first so
naturally inclined that there has been little need
of my intervention. But I will not deny that,
besides his personal inclination, the great respect
and affection with which His Holiness regards Your
Excellency has considerably helped to bring about
this fortunate result. I will obey Your Excellency
with regard to what you mentioned to me in Rome,
and will not breathe a syllable to any one, but wait
until you think the right moment has come. As
for your illustrious son, I really believe he wiU
turn out as well as you desire, thanks to your
prudence and loving exhortations and to his own
excellent nature. I am delighted to hear of Your
Excellency's high credit and favour with your illus-
trious husband, which must give you the greatest
satisfaction. I rejoice greatly over this, but beg
you not to make too large demands on his
favour, lest you should some day hve to repent of
it. I am also very glad to hear the said Signore
your husband is better, and pray that God may
restore him completely to health, so that Your Ex-
cellency may be the better able to enjoy his affection.
The feather quilt which Your Excellency sent me
could not be more acceptable than it is, both on
account of its rare delicacy and beauty, and still
more because it comes from you. Certainly I have
never slept better in my life, and I should not forswear
myself were I to swear to Your Excellency that not
a single night passes in which I do not remember
you 1 His Holiness hopes that you will send him the
one of which you speak in your letter, and really

120 MAXIMILIAN SFORZA

likes the idea of the gift extremely, so that Your
Excellency may safely have it made and sent to
Rome at once. The fact is, you may, I assure
you, treat His Holiness with as much friendhness as
you would Monsignore your brother, since it is cer-
tain you are as dear to him as a sister or daughter.
And you need never be afraid of tiring me with
your letters, which are so delightful that, if I
were not the most discreet of persons, I should
beg you to let me hear from you every day !
But since you write to me with your own hand, I
will not venture on such a request — not that I do
not wish for your letters greatly, but that I fear to
tire Your Excellency. Isabella's messages give me
supreme satisfaction, since I have always loved and
shall love Isabella more than myself, whether or not
she herself loves Mario I " ^

When the Marchesa received this witty letter the
joys of her visit to Rome already lay far behind her.
The year which began so gaily had brought heavy sor-
rows and anxieties in its train, and it needed all her
foresight and prudence to cope with the difficulties in
her way. The accession of a young and martial king
to the throne of France had worked a complete revo-
lution in Italian affairs, and the disastrous defeat of
the Swiss at Marignano had sealed the doom of the
luckless Maximilian Sforza. On the 4th of October
1515, he surrendered the Castello, and abdicated his
throne in favour of Francis I., who allowed him to
live in France on a comfortable pension. The event
can hardly have surprised the Marchesa, who by this
time can have had no illusions as to her nephew's
weakness and incapacity; but she stiU retained a

^ Luzio e Renier, op. cit., App. v.

ABDICATES HIS THRONE 121

kindly feeling for the unfortunate youth, and from
his exile at Amboise he sent her a letter by the
hand of his Master of the Horse assuring her of his
welfare and unalterable affection, and calling her his
second mother. " I am well, thank God, and as
happy as my friends can wish to see me, and thought I
would inform Your Excellency of this, since, knowing
that you love me as you do, this will give you pleasure.
— Your obedient nephew and son, Maximilian."^
October 6, 1516.

Isabella's chief anxiety now was to make friends
with the victor, and Francis I. on his part was no
less eager to see the brilliant Marchesa. She, how-
ever, declined his pressing invitation, pleading her
lord's ill-health as an excuse, and decided to send
her son, Federico, to do homage to the young-
king in his father's stead. The three years which
Federico had spent at the court of Julius II.
had not been thrown away. If his Roman experi-
ences can hardly be said to have exerted a
beneficial effect on his morals, they had made him
a finished courtier, graceful and attractive in person,
quick and ready of speech, as well as wise and cautious
beyond his years. Since his return he had pursued
his studies during two years and a half in the charge
of his excellent tutor, Vigilio, under the eye of his
careful mother. Amid all the attractions and excite-
ments of Rome, Isabella never forgot the boy whose
welfare lay so near her heart, and received constant
reports of his progress from good Messer Francesco.

" During Your Highness's absence," he writes on
the 5th of February 1515, "your son, my master
Signor Federico, has not failed to attend my instruc-
tions twice a day. It is true that he cannot keep

1 Luzio. Arch. St. I^mh., 1901, p. l68.

122 FEDERICO'S T.ESSONS

up his attention for more than an hour, or a little
longer, but during this time he is really attentive
and diligent. We have gone through the abridged
history of Livy, and he has translated two books of
Valerius with me at hand to help him when he
seemed puzzled, and now he knows Roman history
and the laws and constitution of the State so well,
that he can sometimes remind me of things that I
have forgotten, and even find me the passage I
require. I have taught him a work of Ovid, In Ibim,
full of little-known stories and fables, and he seems
particularly fond of history, which I think is especially
useful for a prince. I have also read some beautiful
elegies with him. He does not find verses easy,
although he knows how to scan them, but he con-
strues orations very easily. Every day I dictate
some Epistles to him, which he writes correctly —
unless he makes an accidental slip — and every day I
expound an Epistle of Cicero to him, in order that
he may acquire a good style. In the grammar
examination he answered my questions more quickly
and better than any of the other boys. I have made
him run through Petrarch, as good practice in read-
ing, and he himself has chosen to read some books
of the Orlando, on which he often spends as much
as two hours at a time. This is our method of
learning letters. As for his conduct in other ways,
I see nothing in him which does not lead me to hope
for a glorious and honourable career, and although
the natural ardour of youth inclines him to love,
his conduct in this respect persuades me that he
will avoid the licence which is displeasing both to
God and men. I earnestly entreat Your Excel-
lency to condescend to help my labours with your

HE GOES TO MILAN 123

exhortations. — Your devoted servant, Jo. Franc.

ViGILIUS."

The excellent tutor's description of Federico's
tastes and habits agrees with all we know of this
prince in after life. Without ever attaining to his
mother or brother Ercole's love of learning, he was
decidedly more cultured than his father or Gonzaga
uncles, and from his boyhood he inherited the Estes'
passion for chivalrous romances, of which he made
a large collection in future years. Now, at the age
of fifteen, he asked nothing better than to leave his
books and seek fresh experiences at the gay court of
Milan. Here he found a gracious reception and was
invited to accompany Francis I. to Vigevano. The
Venetian envoy, Contarini, describes Federico as a
handsome and graceful boy, who entertained the
young patricians in his suite at a feast that was
equally remarkable for good cheer and good com-
pany, and sent them away charmed with his courtesy
and amazed at his feats of horsemanship. The young
prince took an active part in the royal hunting
parties and games at palla. His letters to his mother
give a lively picture of His Most Christian Majesty
joining in the game of palla in as vigorous a fashion
as any football player of to-day, giving and receiving
blows in the scuffle, knocking over his courtiers,
and coming into violent collision with the tall and
athletic Gonzaga prince, Federico of Bozzolo, amidst
the laughter of the bystanders. But Isabella's son,
who had barely two hundred ducats in his purse,
found it quite impossible to accept the king's invita-
tion to play cards with him, and win or lose hundreds
of ducats in a single game.^

* M. Sanuto, Diarii, xxi. 296, 329.

124 FRANCIS THE FIRST

The young king was much fascinated by the
beauty and rich attire of the Milanese ladies, and de-
sired Federico to ask his mother, of whose taste and
charms he heard so much, to send him a wax doll
clad in the Mantuan style, with the pattern of
robe, vest and sleeves worn by herself, and hair
dressed in the same fashion, so that the French
ladies might be able to copy them. Isabella re-
plied : " We will gladly send a figure arrayed m
all the fashions that we wear on our backs and heads,
to please His Most Christian Majesty, but fear he
will see nothing new, as here we dress exactly in
the same style as the Milanese ladies."^ It was a
more serious matter when Francis I. expressed the
keenest curiosity to see Brognina, the fair but frail
maid-of-honour whose flirtations had already excited
so many quarrels, and actually sent the Bishop of
Nice with a forged papal brief to bring her from the
convent at Gdito. Fortunately a band of Spanish
cavaliers, whose help Brognina implored, waylaid the
party, and compelled this worthless prelate to beat an
ignominious retreat.^ In spite of this discreditable
affair, Federico succeeded in retaining the king's
favour, and Isabella consented reluctantly to allow
her son to return with him to France in January.
On this journey, as before, Federico was accom-
panied by his trusted servant, Stazio Gadio,
who in his letters to the Marchesa describes the
king's entry into Marseilles, where the life of St.
Louis was represented in a series of tableaux. At
Aix, scenes from the Old Testament were performed
in his honour, while at Avignon Federico witnessed a

1 Luzio, Nuova Antologia, 1896, p. 4i66.

2 Luzio in Arch. St. Lomb., 1901, p. l67.

THE POPE'S DESIGNS 125

dance of Jews and Jewesses, and a curious representa-
tion in which three figures, clad as St. Peter, Martha,
and Mary Magdalene, came out to welcome the
king's return, as of old " they had rejoiced over the
resurrection of Lazarus ! " During the next spring
and summer, Federico remained at the French court,
and accompanied Francis I. to Blois, Amboise, and
his other royal chateaux.

But if all fear of danger from this quarter was
removed, the Marchesa watched with increasing
anxiety the development of the Pope's ambitious
designs against Urbino. In June 1515, the baton of
Papal Gonfaloniere was suddenly withdrawn from
Francesco Maria and bestowed upon Giuhano dei
Medici, and although Leo X. assured the Duke of
Urbino of his unchanging friendship, not even Bib-
biena's protestations could remove Isabella's suspi-
cions. The Pope's duplicity in the matter has been
abundantly proved, and when Francis I. came to
meet him at Bologna in December, before his return
to France, he reluctantly consented to sacrifice
Urbino in return for the restoration of Parma and
Piacenza. As long, however, as his brother Giuliano
lived, Leo X. refrained from action. This prince
could not forget the debt of gratitude which he
owed to the ducal family and the ties of old friend-
ship and affection which bound him to the Gonzagas
and Delia Roveres, and when the Pope came to see
him at Fiesole in his last illness, he begged him with
his dying breath not to attack the Duke of Urbino.
But Leo only told him to get well and not trouble
himself about such matters.^ On the 19th of Feb-
ruary the Pope returned to Rome, and Bibbiena, who

1 Alberi, Relazioni Venete, series iii. 2 ; Dennistoun, ii. 346, &c.

126 DEATH OF GIULIANO

remained at Fiesole, wrote to Isabella, saying that he
had given his dying friend her kind messages, but
that he feared there was little hope of the Duke's
recovery. A month later GiuUano died — on the 17th
of March — lamented by all the friends of his family as
the best of the Medici. His office of Gonfaloniere of
the Church was immediately bestowed on his nephew,
Lorenzo, and the Duke of Urbino was summoned to
appear in Rome and answer a long list of charges,
including the murder of Cardinal AUdosi, under Pope
Juhus II.

In vain young Federico Gonzaga interceded with
Francis I. on his brother-in-law's behalf; in vain the
widowed Duchess Elisabetta herself hastened to
Rome to see the Pope, and remind Lorenzo of the
days when his father had sought refuge at Urbino,
and she had nursed him in her own arms. His
Holiness received her with the greatest cordiality,
the Cardinals flocked to pay her court, and Bembo
once more assured her of his unalterable devotion.
But when at a subsequent audience the Duchess
appealed to the Holy Father's compassion, and re-
minded him of their old friendship, and of the
hospitality which he and his dead brother had en-
joyed at Urbino during their exile, the Pope only
shrugged his shoulders and looked at her through
his eye-glass. " Ah I Holy Father," continued the
Duchess, gathering courage as she spoke, " do you
not remember how in those days we used to pray
that you might be restored to your own ? And do
you wish to drive us out of house and home, and
turn us out to beg our way in the world ? Do
you not remember yourself how bitter a thing it
is to roam over Italy as an exile and a beggar ? " But

LORENZO SEIZES URBINO 127

the Pope refused to utter a single word, and the
poor Duchess returned to Urbino in despair.^

On the 27th of April, Francesco Maria was ex-
communicated and deprived of his states, and in
May, Lorenzo dei Medici invaded Urbino at the
head of 20,000 men. The Duke, with the help of
a brave Mantuan captain, Alessio Beccaguto, whom
his father-in-law had sent to his assistance, made a
vain attempt at resistance, but his own subjects
turned against him, and after throwing his guns
into the river, he retired to Pesaro. Here he em-
barked with the two Duchesses and all his most
valuable property, and travelled by sea to Mantua.

A violent tempest drove the ships in which the
unfortunate refugees sailed across the Adriatic, and,
according to one account, "some 700 miles to the
east, almost on to the Slavonian shores," but at length
the fury of the gale abated, and on the 8th of June
they reached Pietola, where lodgings had been hur-
riedly prepared for them. Isabella herself was stay-
ing with her kinsman Luigi Gonzaga in his summer
palace of Borgoforte, on the Po, some miles south of
Mantua, and here the poor Duchesses came to visit her,
but the Marquis shrank from exciting the Pope's dis-
pleasure by receiving the exiles under his own roof,
and they decided to remain at Pietola for the present.

" To-day," wrote Ippolito Calandra to his young
lord Federico Gonzaga, " Isabella Lavagnola came
to Mantua, to send beds to Pietola for the Duke
and Duchesses of Urbino, who are expected there
to-night. Their little son, Signor Guidobaldo, has
already been lodged in Your Highness's rooms in
the Corte for the last four days, and is the cleverest

1 Luzio e Renier, Mantova, p. 229.

128 FLIGHT OF THE DUKE

and most charmin<^ child in the world. He talks
boldly of all the great things he will do, and says :
* If Pope Leo had come by himself, he could never
have taken my father's State I' and other things
which make us all marvel, since he is only just two
years old. The rooms of the Duke and Duchess
are being prepared in the Corte." But a few days
later the same writer explained that the illustrious
exiles and their suite are to remain at Pietola for
the present, until the Pope has granted permission
for them to come to Mantua, and are made as
comfortable as they can be under present circum-
stances. " Yesterday," he continues, " my mother
and I went to see Their Highnesses, and kissed their
hands, and the Duke and Duchess immediately
asked after you and how you like France, and many
other things. Before I left, the widowed Duchess
came out under the loggia to enjoy the cool evening
air. The young Duchess went upstairs to bed, the
Duke having sent for her, and I stayed downstairs.
Then the widowed Duchess began to tell us how
she went to Rome to see the Pope and how badly
he had treated her, and when she had finished speak-
ing there was no one who could help weeping." ^

The utmost compassion was felt on all sides for
this good and gentle princess, who had thus for the
second time been unjustly exiled from her home, and
was once more forced to depend upon the charity of
others. Fortunately Elisabetta had a kind and loving
friend in Isabella, who did all that was possible to
alleviate her painful position, and seems to have been
more deeply attached to her sister-in-law than she ever
was to her own daughter, Duchess Leonora.
* Luzio e Renier, op. cit., pp. 228, 229.

caZ^^z-z^/vz^ S'onyla.tfO., .^uJA/.rJifyk) {>4 //-r/'f

CHAPTER XXIX

1516—1519

The Duchesses of Urbino hve in great poverty at Mantua —
Raphael's dishes melted down — Marriage of CastigUone —
Francesco Maria tries to recover Urbino, but is forced to
make terms with the Pope — Isabella's journey to Provence —
Betrothal of Federico Gonzaga to Maria di Montferrato —
Isabella's Latin studies — Visit of Contarini and Soranzo to
the Castello — Cristoforo Solari at Mantua — Fra Francesco at
Porto — Bandello the novelist — His relations with the Marchesa
and pictures of her court.

On the 18th of August, the Pope's nephew, Lorenzo
dei Medici, was created Duke of Urbino, and at the
same time Leo X. signed a convention with the
Marquis of Mantua by which Francesco Maria, who
is described as " formerly Duke of Urbino," and his
family were allowed to reside in his father-in-law's
dominions, on condition of never leaving them with-
out the Pope's permission, or entering into any
negotiations with his former subjects or with other
powers.^ During the next five years the two
Duchesses occupied rooms in the Corte Vecchia
of the Castello, and only left Mantua to pay an
occasional visit to Venice. The Marquis made
them a yearly allowance of 6000 ducats, but in
spite of this generous pension the poor ladies were
often reduced to great straits. Soon after their
arrival they were compelled to melt down the
costly silver plate which they had brought from

1 D'Arco in Arch. St. It., App. ii. 285.
VOL. II. ^^ I

180 THE EXILED PRINCES

Urbino, and amongst others, two magnificent dishes
of embossed gilt bronze, which had been designed
in antique style by Raphael. Isabella, to whom
they were offered in the first place by Elisabetta,
who grieved to see such beautiful works of art
destroyed, seems to have been unable to raise
money for their purchase. Her own private fortune
as well as the resources of the State were sorely
strained to meet the heavy expenses entailed by
the misfortunes which had befallen their kinsfolk.
She pledged her jewels and melted down her plate,
while new taxes had to be levied and the strictest
economy practised in order to supply the new de-
mands upon the Treasury. Her letters to Federico
during his absence show how great was the diffi-
culty she found in supplying him with money
sufficient to enable him to appear at the French
court with the splendour befitting his rank, while
at the same time she had to provide for the members
of his household at Mantua. " You ask me," she
writes, "to pay your servant, Prete Stefano, which
I would gladly have done if it had been possible to
perform miracles and feed five thousand with a little
bread and still less fish. But with twenty-eight or
thirty measures of wheat, and eight or nine barrels
of Friuli wine, which are all the provisions for your
household that remain, it is impossible to keep all
your servants. Your tutor, M. Francesco Vigilio,
has also asked for help, which we cannot give him."
Prete Stefano was a favourite buffoon, who had ac-
companied Federico to Milan, where he showed off
his tricks before the Venetian envoys, and rivalled
the famous clown Triboulet. He deUghted King
Francis by appearing as a woman at a masquerade,

MARRIAGE OF CASTIGLIONE 131

and was pronounced by Alfonso d'Este to be a fool
worthy of the greatest monarch in the world.^

Federico's correspondents, however, had one good
piece of news to give in the letters which they
addressed to him from Mantua that autumn. This
was the marriage of the accomplished courtier Cas-
tiglione, who had returned to his old home with the
exiled princes of Urbino. On the 17th of October,
he took to wife Ippolita Torelli, a fair young girl of
fifteen, whose mother was a daughter of Giovanni
Bentivoglio, formerly lord of Bologna, and sister of
Giovanni Gonzaga's wife. The union had been
planned by the Gonzagas, who gladly welcomed
the return of their old favourite, and honoured the
home-coming of the bride with their presence.
The young Duchess Leonora rode out in a chariot
to meet her with Laura Bentivoglio, and a long
train of courtiers, while Isabella and Elisabetta
received her in the bridegroom's house, that ancient
thirteenth-centuTy palazzo which still rears its stately
portals on the Piazza Sordello. As a mark of special
favour, the Marquis drove out to the meadows of the
T^, where he kept his vast stables, and descended
from his chariot to kiss the bride's hands and wel-
come the happy pair. Two days afterwards, a
dramatic representation was given in honour of this
event at the house of Giovanni Gonzaga, in the
Borgo Pradella. A comedy called "Gog and Magog,"
written some years before by Castiglione's dead friend,
the young Mantuan poet Falcone, was performed.
" Madama was present," writes Amico della Torre to
Federico, " with the whole court, and Monsignore de

1 M. Sanuto, Diarii, xxi. 329 ; Luzio e Renier in Nuova AntO'
logia, 1891, 121.

132 WAR OF URBINO

St. Pol, and many French gentlemen, but Lautrec
did not come." ^ From this it appears that Lautrec,
the Viceroy of Milan, and several French nobles were
being entertained at Mantua by the Marchesa, whose
policy it now was to keep on good terms with France,
and if possible to detach the king from his alliance
with the Pope.

Early in the following year, Francesco Maria
made a gallant attempt to recover his dominions, at
the head of an army of German, Spanish and French
mercenaries which had been disbanded after peace
had been made between the Emperor Maximilian
and Venice. During eight months the young Duke
and his wife's valiant cousin, Federico Gonzaga of
Bozzolo, gallantly opposed the papal forces, with
Lorenzo dei Medici and Cardinal Bibbiena at their
head, and it was only the arrival of reinforcements,
which Francis I. reluctantly sent to the help of his
ally, that at length compelled them to abandon the
unequal contest. But in the end Leo X. was forced
to grant his enemy honourable terms. He paid the
arrears due to Francesco Maria's troops, allowed him
to take his guns and the famous library of Urbino back
to Mantua, and promised to give the two Duchesses
their dowries, a part of the agreement which he
never performed.^ Meanwhile Francesco Maria re-
turned to Mantua, where Elisabetta and Leonora
had been anxiously watching the result of his brave
struggle, bringing with him fifty-six banners as
trophies of his barren victories and undoubted proofs
of his personal prowess.

* D'Ancona, Origini del Teatro, ii.

2 Dennistoun, "Memoirs," vol. ii. ; Creighton, " History of the
Papacy," v. 278.

ISABELLA IN FRANCE 133

In April 1517, Isabella took advantage of her
sister and daughter's presence at Mantua to leave
her sick husband, and make a pilgrimage to the shrine
of St. Mary IMagdalene at Sainte-Baume, in the hills
near Marseilles. After paying her vows at this
sanctuary, the Marchesa visited several towns in the
south of France, and went as far north as Lyons.
The reduced state of her funds compelled her to travel
incognita, accompanied only by a small suite, among
whom were Francesco Gonzaga, afterwards ambas-
sador in Rome, Castiglione's brother-in-law, Tommaso
Strozzi, and Mario Equicola. The last-named scholar
wrote a pedantic account of this journey, more with
the object of showing his learning than of recording
facts of interest.^ At Avignon he recalls the residence
of the Popes and memories of Petrarch and Laura, at
Marseilles and Aries he mingles philosophical reflec-
tions with historical traditions, and only here and
there makes some brief allusion to the customs of the
people. One day, when the Marchesa was watching
a country dance of the peasants, Mario confesses that,
having drunk more than was good for him, he not
only invited a peasant maid to dance, but embraced
her, much to the amusement of his companions,
after which he retired to his room to decipher an
ancient inscription.^ But, wherever the Marchesa
went, her beauty and distinguished air attracted the
attention of the French ladies, and one of her at-
tendants, Giovanni da Cremona, wrote from Lyons,
on the 4th of June, to tell Federico how much his
mother was admired. "Your Excellency," he writes,
" must know that, whenever Madama is seen passing

^ De Isabella Estensis iter in Narbonensem Galliam.

2 F. Santoro, Iter in Narb. Gall, in Giom. St. It., 1 896

184 ADMIRATION OF FRENCH LADIES

through the streets, all the men and women in every
rank of life rush to the doors and windows, or stand
still in the road, gazing in wonder at her beautiful
clothes and those of her ladies. Many persons here
say that the clothes which our ladies wear are much
finer than any you see in France, and some people
have told me that they could hardly beheve Madama
was the mother of Your Excellency, and felt sure
she must be your sister."^ When the Marchesa re-
turned to Mantua in July, her old friend Bernardo
dei Prosperi, who came to meet her, wrote to Ferrara
that she had grown decidedly thinner, but was in
radiant health, and as beautiful as she had been
twelve years before. A fortnight later, on the
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Isabella and Federico
both assisted at a representation of scenes from the
saint's life, given by some friars who lived in a
convent outside the Porta Pradella. The stage
was placed against the outer wall of the church,
and opposite a spacious wooden tribunal was erected,
partly on the ground, partly in the waters of the
lake, which bathe the city walls. But, just when
the audience was seated, the marshy ground gave
way, the wooden stand broke down, and the Mar-
chesa and her companions were suddenly precipitated
into the lake. Isabella herself was up to the waist
in water, Federico dislocated his ankle, and many of
the courtiers and ladies suffered severe contusions.
" But, thanks to God and the Magdalene," remarks
Isabella in a lively letter, narrating the incident to
Antonia del Balzo, "no lives were lost.'"

Soon after this, a marriage was arranged be-

1 Luzio in Nuova Antologia, 1896.

2 Luzio, Emporium, 1900, p. 435.

BETROTHAL OF FEDERICO 135

tween Federico and Maria Paleologa, the little
eight-year-old daughter of Guglielmo II., Marquis
of Monferrato, a descendant of the Emperors who
had reigned at Constantinople in the last days of
the Eastern Empire. The two famihes had long
been on friendly terms, and one of Isabella's literary
friends and constant correspondents, Galeotto di Car-
reto, lived at the court of Casale. The marriage was
first proposed when Federico visited Casale on his re-
turn from France,and in October 1517, we find Isabella
recommending her old music master, Angela Testa-
grossa, to the Marchioness Anna of Monferrato, as an
excellent teacher for " our common daughter Maria,"
adding that she herself had once been his pupil, and
the fault was not his if she did him httle honour I ^
The Marquis of Monferrato died in the following year,
leaving a little boy of six and two young daughters
to the care of their excellent mother, a princess of
the house of Alen9on. At the earnest entreaty of
the widowed Marchioness, Isabella herself paid a
visit to Casale in October 1518, and spent two days
at Milan on the way. Here the Milanese courtiers
and ladies hastened to pay their respects to the
popular Marchesa, who remarked to the Dominican
novelist Bandello that she had never seen so many
fine chariots and richly adorned equipages before.^
On her return in November, she visited Asti and
Genoa, and found herself eagerly expected at Mantua
by her kind sister-in-law, who declared that she
seemed to have been absent a thousand years !

During these last days of her husband's life,
when Isabella's time and thoughts were chiefly en-

^ Davari, Musica in Mantova..
2 Novelle, pt. i, 9,

136 MARIO EQUICOLA

gaged in conducting diplomatic intrigues which
required the greatest tact and delicacy, she had
little leisure for study and music, and neither time
nor money to devote to the decoration of her rooms
and the acquisition of new treasures. But here and
there we catch an occasional glimpse of her private life
which shows that her tastes and habits remained the
same. After her return from Rome, she applied
herself with fresh ardour to her Latin studies, under
the tuition of Equicola. In March 1516, we find her
old servant, Jacopo d'Atri, writing from Naples, to
beg she will send him the first Latin work of her com-
position. Mario, however, was absent at the time,
having been sent to offer the young King Charles
of Spain the Marchesa's condolence on the death of
his grandfather Ferdinand. Later in the summer,
he was detained at Ferrara by Alfonso d'Este, who
employed him to compose the historic with which the
painters were to decorate his rooms, and Isabella
wrote repeatedly from Porto, begging him to hasten
his return, as she was alone and required help in her
studies. Equicola, however, put off his return from
day to day, and at length, on the 21st of September,
she laughingly declared that she had given up all
hopes of ever seeing him again, but warned him that,
if he did come, she intended to make him work so hard
that he would soon give up the ghost ! Meanwhile,
her beautiful palaces, with their priceless collection
of paintings and antiques, excited the admiration of
all visitors to Mantua.

In November 1515 the Venetian ambassadors,
Zuan and Alvise Contarini, spent two days at Mantua
on their way to Milan. A Venetian patrician in
their suite, Ser Piero Soranzo, describes how they

VENETIAN ENVOYS AT MANTUA 137

arrived by boat late one winter evening, and were
conducted by torchlight into the richly perfumed and
sumptuously furnished rooms usually occupied by the
young lord Federico. Here a dainty supper, con-
sisting of infinite varieties of fish, eggs, tarts, con-
fetti, together with eight different sorts of wine, was
served, to the sound of exquisite singing and instru-
mental music. On the following morning, after
attending high mass and hearing some fine organ
music, the envoys visited the palace ,of S. Sebas-
tiano, and admired the magnificent series of Triumphs
painted by the hand of Mantegna. After this, they
were ushered into another suite of apartments, where
the same odour of rich perfumes met them on the
threshold. Here they found the Marquis reclining
on a couch by the hearth of a richly adorned room,
with his pet dwarf clad in gold brocade, and three
superb greyhounds lying at his feet. Three pages
stood by, waving large fans, lest even a hair should
fall upon him ; a quantity of falcons and hawks in
leash were in the room, and the walls were hung
with pictures of favourite dogs and horses. Fran-
cesco received the envoys graciously, and gave orders
that they should be shown the other halls of the
palace, containing Costa's recently painted frescoes
and many fine portraits of his family and friends.
The beauty and extent of the gardens and the
magnificent view from the Loggia greatly impressed
the visitors, as well as the gorgeous dinner service
of wrought silver. In the afternoon they saw
Cardinal Sigismondo, and visited the Castello,
" another fine palace belonging to the Marchesana,"
writes Soranzo, "more beautiful than all the rest,
and full of lovely maidens. We saw the Armoury

138 THEY VISIT THE GROTTA

of the Marquis, which is worthy to be compared with
the Halls of the Council of Ten, and a cabinet
containing jewels and plate of priceless value, and
the Grotta in which the Marchesa has collected an
infinite number of rare and beautiful things." Un-
fortunately Isabella herself was suffering from an
attack of fever and could not receive her guests,
but sent orders that they should be courteously
entertained and shown all her treasures. Finally,
the Venetians were taken to see the stables on tlie
Piazza of the T^, outside the walls, and admired
150 splendid chargers belonging to Francesco's famous
breed of Barbary horses. Then another supper of
choicest viands and sweetmeats was set before the
tired travellers, after which Marchetto sang certain
songs to the lute " so admirably that you could desire
nothing better." ^

In the following March, Isabella received a visit
from her old friend Trissino, who stopped at Mantua
on his way back from a papal mission to Innsbruck,
to repay a loan of 400 ducats which the Marchesa
had generously advanced some months before. In
return for this timely help, the papal nuncio gave
the Marchesa valuable information of a secret agree-
ment which had been made between Pope Leo and
the Emperor Maximilian. Isabella wrote without
delay to warn her brother Alfonso to be prepared
for all emergencies, since this treaty between the
Pope and Csesar might be fraught with the gravest
peril to his state and person.^

A few weeks later, the Marchesa received another
guest in the person of the Milanese sculptor Cristoforo

1 M. Sanuto, Diarii, xxi. 280-282.
' B. Morsolin, G. G. Trissino.

SOLAKI'S FOUNTAIN 189

Solari, surnamed "il Gobbo," who had carved the
beautiful effigies on the tombs of her sister Beatrice
and Lodovico Moro. This excellent master now
came from Ferrara with a letter of recommendation
from Duke Alfonso, begging his sister to show
him her paintings and antiquities. Isabella gladly
complied with this request, and took occasion of
Cristoforo's visit to beg him to undertake a new
work. After prolonged delays, the sculptor agreed
to design a magnificent fountain for the gardens of
her favourite villa of Porto, and promised to carve all
the finer reliefs and ornamental details with his own
hand, while two assistants were employed to execute
the rest of the work. But Cristoforo died of the
plague before the fountain was finished, and a long
correspondence with his sons ensued. Eventually,
after the Marchesa's return from Rome in 1527,
the marbles which "il Gobbo"' had prepared and
the reliefs which he had carved were delivered to
his son and another Pavian sculptor of repute, who
executed the work from designs left by the dead
master.^

One old friend for whom the Marchesa retained
the most profound respect and esteem was Fra
Francesco da Ferrara, the distinguished Vicar-
General of the Dominican Order. On her journey
to Rome in January 1515, she had succeeded in
obtaining an edict from Pope Leo X. pronouncing
the beatification of their mutual friend, Osanna
degU Andreasi ; and, as she wrote to the Frate, was
determined never to relax her efforts until she could
obtain the canonisation " of this our dear mother."
Meanwhile she constantly urged Fra Francesco to

1 A, Bertolotti, Artistic 1885 ; Luzio, Arch. St. Lomb,, 1891, 175.

140 A DOMINICAN PRIOR

pay her a visit. Unfortunately, when at length, in May
1516, he came to Mantua, on his way to assume the
office of Prior of his Order at Ferrara, Isabella was
at Borgoforte, anxiously expecting the arrival of the
fugitives from Urbino. But at her wish the good
Prior spent a day at Porto, and wrote a letter in
which expressions of admiration for her beautiful
country house are mingled with regrets at being
compelled to leave his beloved books and assume an
office that was especially distasteful to his studious
nature.

"Your Excellency," he writes, "may imagine
how much pleasure I have in seeing this fair palace
of Porto, where, thanks to you, I have been received
with the greatest kindness. The palace and gardens
are indeed most charming, and seem to me laid out
with the greatest skill by Your Highness. But the
bitterness of my own thoughts prevents me from fully
enjoying these rare delights. I thank Your High-
ness once more for your kindness in allowing me to
see this delicious spot. Another time, when I am in
a happier frame of mind, I shall hope to return here
and look with greater attention at this house, with its
gardens and lovely surroundings. But you know
how much I dislike the management of friars, and
now, just when I had hoped to return to Milan, I am
compelled, in spite of all my protests, to bow my
head and go to be Prior at Ferrara."^

Another Dominican friar of a very diffi^rent type,
Matteo Bandello, the novelist, was often at Mantua
during the last years of Francesco Gonzaga's reign,
and enjoyed the favour of Isabella in a marked degree.
As a novice in the Moro's favourite convent of S.

1 Luzio e Renter, Giom. St. d. Lett. It., 1900.

MATTEO BANDELLO 141

Maria delle Grazie, he had watched Leonardo at
work on his great painting in the refectory, and
had seen the young Duchess Beatrice borne to
the grave amid the tears and lamentations of all
JSIilan. He was a well-known figure in the house of
Ippohta Sforza, the wife of Alessandro Bentivoglio,
and told stories under the green pergola of her
garden, or conversed with "these two bright stars
of Milanese society, Cecilia Gallerani and Camilla
Scarampa." There he met the Marchesa Isabella
on her visits to Milan, and was often sent to
Mantua with letters from his learned Superior, Prior
Francesco. Between 1516 and 1519, Bandello seems
to have lived chiefly at the Dominican convent of
Mantua, and was admitted into the innermost circle
of the Marchesa's friends. The Hvely friar's wit and
brilliancy and his rare gift of story-teUing made him
a welcome guest at the Httle dinners and suppers,
where Isabella loved to collect poets and humanists
on the breezy heights of Cavriana or under the cool
shades of Porto. " It was my habit," he writes in
the dedication of one of his stories to Pirro Gon-
zaga of Gazzuolo, " during the summer months when
I Hved at Mantua, to go two or three times a
week to pay my respects to Madama Isabella da
Este, Marchesa di Mantova, in her most delightful
palace of Porto, and spend the whole day discussing
various subjects with her lords and ladies, some-
times before Her Excellency, sometimes among
ourselves." ^

There, he tells us, as the company sat in these
cool and spacious halls, with the murmur of running
waters falling pleasantly on the ear, Madama bade

1 Nmelle, pt. i. 30.

142 LITERARY DISCUSSION

him tuke up I>ivy and read the story of Tarquin and
of the death of Lucrezia. " For she, as you are
aware," he says, addressing his beloved pupil, Luc-
rezia Gonzaga, the daughter of Pirro Gonzaga of
Bozzolo, and grand-daughter of Isabella's half-sister,
Lucrezia Bentivoglio, ** knows the whole of Roman
history perfectly. I obeyed her commands, and
when I had finished we sat down to dinner, and
afterwards discussion arose between M. Benedetto
Capilupi and Mario Equicola regarding the subject
of the book. M. Benedetto praised Lucrezia highly,
but Mario, on the other hand, declared that she must
have been mad to kill herself. While these two were
still disputing, that noble and learned cavalier, Count
Baldassarre Castiglione, suddenly arrived. Madama
told him Avhat I had been reading, and the discussion
which had arisen, adding gaily that she saw Bandello
was on the point of going to the sacristy and referring
the disputants to St. Augustine's remarks on the
subject in his book of ' City of God.' ' But now you
have come,' she added with her gracious smile, ' and
are to settle the quarrel. So I beg of you to give
your opinion.' Castiglione tried to excuse himself,
but the most excellent Madama insisted that he should
enter the arena. So he told the whole story, and
summed up in praise of the most chaste Lucrezia's
act, as you will read in this Novella, which I cannot
do better than offer to you, knowing that all I write
is dear to you, although, as a matter of fact, in this
instance I simply relate the story as it was told by
the gentle, learned, and eloquent Castiglione." *
Another evening, when her secretary, Benedetto
Capilupi, had told a pleasant tale as the Marchess

1 Pt u. 21

IN THE VILLA 143

and her ladies were walking among the cypress and
orange gi'oves of the terraced gardens, Madama her-
self turned to the friar, and said: "Bandello, this
story is one which would come in well among the
Novelle which you are writing every day." ^ Again,
one hot July afternoon, when the dog-days had set
in and not a breath of air stirred the leaves of the
trees, the Marchesa and her ladies retired to take an
hour s rest in her rooms on the upper floor. That day
Bandello's especial patron, Pirro Gonzaga of Gazzuolo,
the youngest of Antonia del Balzo's sons, was
at Porto, having been asked by Isabella to meet
his cousin, Alessandro, the son of Giovanni Gonzaga,
with whom he had been on bad terms, and who was
now reconciled to him by the Marchesa's intervention.
*' Now that Madama has left us," said Pirro, " let us
go and seek fresh air in the loggia in the gardens,
and pass the time till our Madama returns." The
other guests gladly followed his suggestion, and were
on their way to the loggia when Alessandro Baesso,
Isabella's seneschal or " companion of honour," a man
"old in years, but singularly merry in disposition,"
suddenly arrived from the palace of S. Sebastiano,
where he was staying with the Marquis. This very
lively and agreeable person, as Bandello calls him,
was joyously welcomed by the whole company, and
amused them as they sat in the loggia by repeating a
story which the Marquis had told him of a Mantuan
lady's intrigues with two brothers, until the barking
of Madama's pet dogs on the stairs announced her
return.

Sometimes the scene changes and we find our-
selves on a winter day in the Marchesa's rooms in the

1 Pt. iv. 3.

144 AT THE CASTELLO

Castello. Madama sits by the fire, and Bandello
brings her the latest news from Milan, and they talk
over the business on which she had sent him. Then
the principal courtiers and chief ladies of Mantua
drop in one by one to pay their respects to Her
Excellency, and Costantino Pio tells the company
of a silly wrangle between the Cavaliere Soardo and
the doctor Maestro Tommaso. Upon which Isabella
starts a discussion on the distinction between wit and
folly, between clever nonsense and vulgar jests.
Every one has some instance to give, some witty
saying or foolish speech to recall, and Bandello wins
the prize by relating an epigram made by Marc
Antonio Colonna, on the little mule which carried
Lautrec and his fortunes. The whole scene gives a
curious and animated picture of the society and
manners of the age.^ Elsewhere Bandello repeats
the stories which he told the Marquis walking in his
gardens at the palace of S. Sebastiano, or in the halls
adorned with Mantegna's glorious Triumphs, one
day when Luigi Gonzaga of Borgoforte, Tommaso
Strozzi, and Madama were all present. In a tale
dedicated to Isabella's librarian, Gian Giacomo Cal-
andra, he recalls how, in order to escape from the
intense heat caused at Mantua last summer by the
drying up of the waters, that glorious lady, Isabella
da Este, Marchesa di Mantova, retired to her pleasant
country house on the heights of Cavriana, where
the air is always fresh and the halls are always
cool, and amused herself after her usual custom in
reading and conversation, in singing and playing
herself, and listening to the most delicious music.^
Or, again, we find ourselves at the stately villa of

1 Pt. i. 48. 2 Pt. ii. 5.

CESARE BORGIA'S CRIMES 145

Marmirolo, in the presence of the INIarchesa and
the two Duchesses of Urbino, Hstening to the learned
Venetian patrician and Hbrarian of San Marco, Andrea
Navagero, the friend of Raphael and Bembo, who, in
the presence of this august company, relates the last
strange story which has come from Rome.^ *' During
these days," writes Bandello, "that incomparable
lady, Elisabetta Gonzaga, the widow of Duke Guido-
baldo of blessed memory, being ill, I went to visit her,
and found her constant companion and sister-in-law,
Madama Emilia Pia, sitting with her. And as we sat
together, talking of many things, there arrived that
learned and most noble patrician of Vicenza, Gian
Giacomo Trissino, bringing a letter from Signora
Margherita Pia di San Severino to her sister Emilia.
He was most graciously received by the Duchess,
and the conversation turned upon the tyranny and
cruelty exercised by Cesare Borgia in Romagna and
La INIarca long ago. As we spoke of these things,
the poor Duchess could scarcely restrain her tears,
remembering the cruelty of Borgia" to one of her
ladies, whom he surprised and captured on her
wedding journey to Ravenna, slaying her attendants
before her eyes. And many more things were
said of the enormities committed by the said
Cesare Borgia, Duca Valentino, who not only killed
his foes and strangers, but slew his own brother.
Then Messer Gian Giorgio told us a tale of another
cruel tyrant, Eccelino Romano of Verona, which
Madonna Emilia begged me to record." ^

To Emilia herself Fra Matteo dedicated a tale
which he told at the house of Castiglione, where, in
August 1517, his wife, the fair and virtuous lady

1 Pt. iii. 46. 2 pt. iv. 12.

VOL. II. K

146 THE PO AND MINCIO FROZEN

Ippolita Torelli, gave birth to her first-born son
Camillo. Emilia was there that day in waiting on
the Duchess Ehsabetta, who came with all the noble
lords and ladies in Mantua to offer the Count their
congratulations on this happy event, but since she
had to leave suddenly, she lost part of the story,
which Bandello accordingly sends her, knowing her
delight in any new tale and the pleasure she has
always taken in reading his little things. And in a
postscript he adds that a fortnight ago he received a
letter from her sister, Margherita di San Severino,
who is very well.^

In another story, told by one of Cardinal Sigis-
mondo's secretaries to Isabella and her guests at
Porto, the novelist recalls the rigours of the past
winter, when the limpid lake which encircles the city
was turned into crystalline ice, and not only the
river Mincio, " which flows joyously through our fair
meadows," was entirely frozen over, but even the
broad waters of the Po were blocked with ice, so
that all navigation was stopped, and our " excellent
Madama crossed the frozen waters on foot, from
Borgoforte to the opposite shore, accompanied by all
her gentlemen and most of her lovely maidens." It
was indeed a terrible winter. The country was over-
run by the Venetian and French troops, who were at
war with Maximihan ; many towns in Mantuan
territory were sacked and burned, and since it was
impossible to bring provisions from the farms on the
banks of the Po, there was no hay or corn for the
horses, and a great famine arose.^

In sharp contrast to these winter scenes is the
vivid picture which Bandello gives us of the radiant

1 Pt. i. 33. 2 pt_ i, 16.

WEDDING OF CAMILLA GONZAGA 147

Midsummer's day in 1518, when the fair Camilla
Gonzaga, the youngest of Antonia del Balzo's
daughters, gave her hand in marriage to the great
Neapolitan baron, the Marchese Tripalda. The
bride herself had written to bid him to the wedding,
and her venerable mother had added five hnes in her
own hand, refusing to accept any excuse. Both her
gallant brother, Federico di Bozzolo, the hero of the
Urbino wars, and Pirro, his own dear lord, had
threatened him with the complete and instant loss
of their favour if he did not come. At length, moved
by these threats and compelled by the duty which he
owed to the noble house of Gonzaga, the friar made
his way to Casalmaggiore, Madonna Antonia's fair
palace in the district of Cremona, where the mar-
riage took place. Then it was, in the midst of the
music and dancing, and the games and tricks of the
most comical clowns and buffoons, that Madonna
Antonia rose, and beckoning to the bride and her
son Pirro to follow her, took Bandello's hand and
led him into a hall on the ground] floor, paved with
marble and marvellously cool. " I have brought you
here," the honoured lady said, with her gracious
smile, "not only because of the great heat, but in
order to escape from the crowds outside and to spend
the noonday hour in pleasant talk. Now! let any
one who has a fine story to tell, begin I " All the
guests present hailed this as an excellent idea, and
Pirro asked a Burgundian gentleman, Edmond
Orflec, to begin, and he told a sad story of two
faithful lovers doomed to death by a jealous Duchess
of Burgundy, which brought tears to aU eyes.
So the time passed pleasantly away, till the sun
began to sink in the western sky and the evening

148 THE GONZAGAS OF BOZZOLO

breeze gently stirred the leaves with its refreshing
sound/

These Gonzagas of Bozzolo were Bandello's most
generous patrons, and Isabella's loyal friends. There
was Madonna Antonia herself, who had already seen
upwards of seventy years and was yet as young and
lively as ever, known and loved as "the mother of
all," adored not only by her own large family, but
by all the subjects of her little province. And there
were her gallant sons, Lodovico, Federico, and Pirro,
who were always absent in the wars, but had their
palace in Mantua and their finely situated castle of
Gazzuolo on the steep banks of the river Oglio.
There were her beautiful daughters, most of them
already married to Milanese or Mantuan lords, saving
this youngest and fairest of all, the bright-eyed
Camilla, whose fair young face and divine voice made
her so great a favourite with the Marchesa Isabella.
And there were her grandchildren growing up around
her — Luigi Rodomonte, whose giant stature and heroic
mould were celebrated by Ariosto in immortal verse,
and his sister Giulia, whose surpassing beauty was
soon to become famous throughout Italy. All these
find a place in the novelist's pages, all these and
many other well-known figures at Isabella's court —
the gay maids-of-honour, who, we can well believe,
read Bandello's stories very willingly, and aU the
distinguished humanists to whom Paolo Giovio gave
the name of the Accademia di S. Pietro, from the
piazza on which the Castello stood. There, to quote
Bandello's words, we find the polished and scholarly
librarian, Gian Giacomo Calandra, whose name lives

the learned and industrious

^ Pt iv. 5. 2 Orlando Furioso, xlii. 85.

COURTIERS AND SCHOLARS 149

Mario Eqiiicola, who assisted the Marchesa in her
studies ; the gentle and cultured Aldo Manuzio ; the
accomplished poet, Paride da Ceresara, " a man after
the heart of Terence, qui nihil humani a se alienum
putat.'^ There was the saintly and refined Dominican
scholar, Fra Francesco, and the learned philosopher,
Pomponazzi, who went by the name of Peretto, and
was so Jewish in appearance that he was often hooted
and pelted with stones by the street-boys.^ There was
merry INIesser Giuho Olduino, too, who told a gay
tale in Bandello's hearing, when he was spending
carnival with his mistress at the Duke of Milan's
court, httle knowing how soon he was to fall into
disgrace, and the novelist, Strascino, who spent a day
at Porto on his way to Rome, and repeated Dante's
tale of Pia dei Tolomei. There was the Marquis
Francesco, in these last years of his life tied to a
sick-bed, but still loving to recall the adventures of
his youth and keenly enjoying a rough jest or prac-
tical joke ; there was his brother Giovanni, " as
honest and sensible a man as ever lived," and his
spendthrift son, the gambler and fighter, Alessandro,
and many other valiant captains and nobles, Visconti,
Pallavicini, Bentivogli, and those gallant San Severini
brothers, who claimed the friar's especial allegiance, as
a race of heroes sprung from his own native city of
Castelnovo in the Tortonese.^

And among them all, the leader and centre of
that brilliant company, was Isabella herself, welcom-
ing the stranger kindly, smiling graciously on the
last speaker, suggesting new subjects for discussion,
and bringing her own lively wit, her own wide know-
ledge and wisdom to add to the general store. To

1 Pt iii. S8. 2 Pt. iv. 3.

150 BANDELLO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL

her Bandello dedicated his tragic tale of the love and
crimes of the Milanese Contessa di Cellani, whom
Isabella had formerly met in IppoUta Sforza and
Ceciha Gallerani's houses at Milan, and whose conduct
she had gravely discussed with Matteo at Porto.^

Isabella, on her part, felt genuine regard for the
lively friar, and valued him not only for his brilliant
gifts and genial temper, but for his loyalty and faith-
fulness. She employed him on errands to Milan and
trusted him with difficult and delicate negotiations.
On New Year's Day 1517, she sent a Hymn on the
Nativity, which Bandello had composed, to Duchess
EHsabetta, begging her to accept it, since she had
nothing else to give her on this festival, and knows
that it will please her as much as anything which
she has seen for many a long day.^ In April 1518,
she gave the friar the following written testimonial,
addressed to the Vicar-General of the Dominicans, in
which she refutes certain charges which had been
brought against Bandello's character and bears wit-
ness to the excellence of his conduct during the
years which he had spent in the Dominican convent
at Mantua.

" To the Vicar and Friars of the Order of
Preachers : —

" Reverend Father and Friends in Christ, —
The virtues and excellent qualities of the vener
able Friar Matteo Bandello, and the religious and
modest life which he has always led in this
our city, while he has been in your convent of S.
Domenico, are so well known, that we and all
persons of worth and good judgment must ever

» Pt. i. 7.

' Luzio e Renier in Giom. St. d. L., v. Si.

ISABELLA'S TESTIMONIAL 151

praise and commend him. But since we hear that
you have received other accounts, which are utterly
false, we should fail in our duty if we did not bear
witness to the good conduct of the said Friar
Matteo, which deserves the highest commendation.
We therefore pray you. Reverend Fathers, to dis-
miss any bad opinions about him which you may
have formed, if indeed this is true, which we on our
part greatly doubt, and we heartily pray you to hold
him dear, and to honour him as his infinite virtues
deserve. This will not only be a just and worthy
thing in itself, but will give us the greatest pleasure."^
Mantua, April 15, 1518.

Soon after this curious testimony to his moral
character, Bandello went back to Milan, and did
not return to Mantua until after the Marquis
Francesco's death.

At the request of his friends he composed
a Latin oration in memory of this prince,
which he sent to his son and successor on the
anniversary of Francesco's death, and afterwards
delivered before Federico and his whole court.
But in the following letter, which he sent to the
Marchesa, he showed his discrimination by omitting
any allusion to her dead lord's virtues, and contented
himself with expressions of sympathy in her loss,
and of high hopes for her son's success and pros-
perity. Isabella herself, we can well beHeve,
cordially shared Bandello's sentiments as to the
weariness of reading endless letters of condolence, in
which the same exaggerated praises and conven-
tional expressions were reiterated ad nauseam,

" Most illustrious and honoured Mistress, — I think

1 Luzio, Precettori, p. 46-

152 BANDELT.O'S CONDOLENCES

that by this time you will have had so many letters
of condolence on the death of your illustrious lord,
not only from all parts of Italy, but from the whole
of Europe, that you will be quite tired of reading
them, besides which every letter of this kind helps
to renew our grief and open our wounds afresh.
But, as your loyal servant, I am in duty bound, at
the risk of seeming indiscreet, to condole with you,
which I would do from my heart were I writing to a
lady who shared the weakness common to ordinary
women. But when I remember that Your High-
ness, besides being blest with all the excellent gifts
and virtues which render her supreme among women,
is so rarely endowed by nature that she can find
better medicine for this sorrow than a thousand
letters can prescribe, I feel I need say no more.
Enough that Your Highness knows that I am her
servant, and grieve over her sorrows as every faith-
ful servant must grieve for the losses which befall
his master. And I cannot fail to add that your
sorrow must be diminished by the great expectation
that we all entertain of the present illustrious Mar-
quis, your son. For we all hope that he, being what
he is, and always has been, and being also governed
by Your Highness, must prove worthy of the blood
which flows in his veins. May God long preserve
Your Highness in health and happiness. — Of Your
Illustrious Excellency the most obedient servant,
Era Matteo Bandello." ^

The clever friar succeeded in retaining the favour
of the new Marquis, who rendered him important
services at Rome in days to come. And when many
years afterwards, in the house of his patron, Fregoso,

^ Luzio e Renier, Giorn. St. d. Lett., v. 34.

HIS AFFECTION FOR ISABELLA 153

he was entrusted with the education of Pirro and
Camilla Gonzaga's orphan daughter, Lucrezia, he
often recalled the joyous days which he had spent
in Mantua, and caused the memory of the Marchesa
and her friends to live again in his immortal pages.

CHAPTER XXX

1519—1520

Death of the Emperor Maximilian — Of the Marquis Francesco
Gonzaga — His death-bed and funeral — Proclamation of his
son Federico — Death of Lucrezia Borgia — Of Isabella's
secretary, Capilupi — Mario Equicola succeeds him — Death of
Lorenzo dei Medici, Duke of Urbino — Mission of Castiglione
to Rome — Urbino annexed to the Papal States — Raphael
designs a tomb for the Marquis Francesco — His picture for
Isabella — Portrait of Federico sent to Mantua — Mentioned in
Charles the First's inventories — Trial of Longueil — Pandolfo
Pico's letter on the death of Raphael.

The year 1519 proved fatal to many persons closely
connected with Isabella d'Este, and whose lives and
destinies had influenced the fortunes of her house.
First of all, in January the Emperor Maximihan
died, and was succeeded in June by his grandson,
Charles V., who already reigned over Spain, Naples,
and the Netherlands. While the rival powers of
Europe were still intriguing over the imperial election,
the Marquis Francesco Gonzaga passed away. After
Isabella's return from Casale at the end of the year,
he became rapidly worse, and was unable to leave the
palace of S. Sebastiano. On the morning of the 29th
of March, he sent for his notary, Leonello Marchese,
and made a will, appointing his son Federico his
heir and successor, and leaving a yearly income of
8000 ducats to his two younger sons, Ercole and
Ferrante, and a portion of 3000 ducats to his two
unmarried daughters. A yearly pension of 400 ducats

DEATH OF FRANCESCO 155

was provided for his two illegitimate daughters, and
a house in the Borgo Pradella was assigned to Mar-
gherita, who still remained unmarried. The Marchesa
was confirmed in the possession of all her revenues,
amounting to a yearly income of 12,000 ducats, and,
together with the Cardinal and Giovanni Gonzaga,
was appointed executor and guardian, or adviser of
her son Federico until he should attain the age of
twenty-two. A fine house and estate was also left
to his brother Giovanni as a special token of affection,
and a pension of 6000 ducats a year was assigned to
the Duke and Duchesses of Urbino during their
exile.^ After this the dying man received the last
sacraments, and sent for his wife and children, who
assembled round his bedside towards evening. Both
the Duchesses of Urbino, his sister and daughter,
were present, as well as Isabella, her three sons, and two
younger daughters — Ippolita, who had taken the veil
eight years before, and Livia, who had been destined
to the cloister from her birth, and was already known
by her conventual name of Paola. The Marquis
took leave of them and of the chief magistrates and
nobles of Mantua, begging them to serve his son
as well as they had served him. " My dearest son,"
he said to Federico, " 1 leave you a beautiful state
and a large revenue. See that you act justly and
keep the love of your subjects, and carry out my last
orders if you wish me to rest in peace." Then, turn-
ing to Isabella, he recommended his children to her
care, saying that he had long known her marvellous
wisdom and capacity, and placed his whole trust and
confidence in her. After this he asked two Franciscan
friars who were present to read aloud the account of

^ M. Sanuto, Diarii, xxvii. l6l.

156 FUNERAL HONOURS

the death of Christ from St. Luke's Gospel, and when
they reached the passage, " Father, into Thy hands I
commend my spirit," he commended his own soul
devoutly into the hands of God. " Nothing was to
be seen on the faces of all present but tears," writes
Equicola, who was present; "notliing was to be
heard but the sobbing of the women, while the children
stood by, as it were, stunned and silent." At eight
o'clock the INIarquis breathed his last. All the next
day his body lay in state in the Castello, after which
it was clothed in the Franciscan habit, as he had
desired, and borne in an oak coffin covered with a
black velvet pall to the Gonzaga chapel in the church
of S. Francesco, followed by all the friars in Mantua.^
On the 4th of April the new Marquis, Federico,
rode out of the Castello, clad in white, and, standing
under the great gates of the cathedral, received the
sceptre from the hands of Sigismondo Folengo,
Podesta of Mantua. Then he rode through the city,
followed by all the nobles and chief citizens. His
stew^ard, Ippoliti, rode before him, bearing a naked
sword high over his head, while drums were beat
and trumpets sounded, and the people shouted
" Long live the house of Gonzaga." A week after-
wards the last honours were paid to the dead ruler,
and Federico rode in state at the head of all the
princes of his house to the church of S. Francesco.
Here his father's corpse was laid on a sumptuous cata-
falque hung with banners and lighted with blazing
torches, crowned with an effigy of the dead prince in
armour.^ Federico's old tutor, Francesco Vigilio,
delivered a funeral oration on the following day,

^ Mario Equicola, Commentarii, ed. l607.

* G. Daino, Cronaca ; Volta, Storia di Mantova, ii. 304.

GRIEF OF LUCREZIA BORGIA 157

after which the new Marquis received the foreign
ambassadors and gave audience to the chief citizens
of Mantua and the neighbouring towns. During the
next weeks the widowed IMarchesa received letters
and visits of condolence, not only, as Bandello re-
marked, from all parts of Italy, but from all quarters
of the civilised world. Ambassadors from France,
Spain, and Germany came to offer her their respectful
sympathy. Pope Leo X., who, in spite of his base
and treacherous conduct towards Isabella's kindred
of Urbino and Ferrara, always professed sincere regard
for her, sent his secretary, Pietro Bembo, in June to
Mantua to offer his condolences and present his
congratulations to Federico ; and, at the Marchesa's
invitation, this old friend paid her a visit at Marmirolo,
where she was spending the summer. Even Cardinal
Bibbiena, who could hardly appear in Isabella's
presence after taking the field against her son-in-law,
sent a courteous note from BresceUo on his way
back from France, professing the warmest sentiments
of affection and regretting his inabihty to visit her in
person.

One of the kindest letters which Isabella received
on this occasion was from her sister-in-law, Lucrezia
Borgia.^ Duke Alfonso, alarmed by the Pope's
secret designs against Ferrara, had gone to the court
of France to seek the help of his ally. King Francis I.,
and only heard of his brother-in-law's death on his
return home. ISIeanwhile Lucrezia wrote on the 31st
of March to express her deep regret at the death of a
prince who had always been a good friend to her.
" This bitter loss," she wrote to Isabella, " has
afflicted me so deeply that, instead of being able to

^ Gregorovius, " L. Borgia," p. 319.

158 HER DEATH

comfort others, I am in sore need of comfort myself.
I grieve from my heart for Your Excellency in this
great sorrow, and can never express how much grief
it has caused me. But since it has thus pleased God,
we must bow to His will, and I know Your Highness
will bear this grief with your well-known courage and
wisdom." The poor Duchess was herself in a critical
state of health. On the 14th of June she gave birth
to a dead child, and ten days afterwards she breathed
her last in the arms of her husband, on the night of
the 24th. Two days before her death, feeling that
her last hour was near, she dictated a touching letter
to Pope Leo X., begging for his blessing and prayers,
and commending her husband and children to his
care. Alfonso's grief was deep and real. He had
been tenderly attached to this " dear partner of his
life," as he called the wife whom he had so reluctantly
married, and he fainted away at the funeral, and had
to be carried into the sacristy of the church and
revived with aqua vitce. Giovanni Gonzaga, who
was present, found the whole city plunged in mourn-
ing, and heard "wonderful things" of the goodness
and piety of the lamented Duchess.^

Another personal loss which affected Isabella
very closely was the death of her faithful secretary,
Benedetto Capilupi, who had been her daily com-
panion and assistant ever since her marriage. His
health had long been failing, and he died towards
the close of 1518, a few months before the Marquis
Francesco. The choice of a new secretary was a
matter of great importance to the Marchesa, and
after long consideration she eventually appointed

^ Zucchetti, "Lucrezia Borgia," p. 21, &c. ; Gregorovius, "L,
Borgia," p. 322.

EQUICOLA APPOINTED SECRETARY 159

Mario Equicola to the vacant post. "It is especi-
ally important," she wrote to her brother Alfonso,
on the 28rd of May 1519, "to have a secretary who
is agreeable to the Signer Marchese, and as he and
all my family are in favom* of Mario I have made
him my secretary." Both as a refined Latin scholar
and a skilled diplomatist, Equicola was especially
qualified for the post. And from the time that
Federico was a boy in Rome he had ingratiated
himself with him by sending him messages from
his mother's lively maids-of-honour, especially Alda
Boiarda, and that Isabella Lavagnola with whom
Mario's own name had been repeatedly associated,
much to the Marchesa's displeasure. Certainly the
young Marquis honoured Mario with many tokens
of his favour, and bestowed several lucrative offices
upon him during the first months of his reign. On
the whole Equicola served Isabella well, although
in the last years of his hfe, when dissensions arose
between Federico and his mother, he had a difficult
part to play, and in his anxiety to worship the
rising sun, did not always remember the loyalty
which he owed to his mistress.

Meanwhile news reached Mantua of the sudden
death of the Pope's nephew Lorenzo dei Medici.
This weak and dissolute prince expired at Florence
on the 4th of May, only a few days after his French
wife, Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne, leaving an
infant princess who afterwards became known in
history as Catherine dei Medici. This unexpected
event revived the hopes of Francesco Maria, whose re-
storation to the throne of Urbino was eagerly desired
by his old subjects. But Isabella and Federico both
felt that their own interests were at stake, and

160 RAPHAEL DESIGNS A TOMB

refused to help the Duke in any rash attempt to
recover his throne. The favour of Pope Leo X.
was of the utmost importance to the young Marquis,
and in order to secure this he and his mother agreed
to send CastigHone to Rome to obtain certain con-
cessions from tlie Pope regarding the salt duties
payable by the State to the Holy See, and at the
same time plead the cause of the exiled Duke. Leo
X., however, was inflexible on this latter point, and,
immediately after his nephew's death, the annexa-
tion of the duchy of Urbino to the Papal States
was proclaimed. On all other matters His Holiness
showed himself very favourably disposed towards the
young INIarquis, and sent Isabella the most gracious
messages.

Among the other commissions with which the
Marchesa had charged Castiglione on this occasion
was that of obtaining a design for her husband's
tomb from Michel Angelo or Raphael. The Count
naturally applied first of aU to his dear friend, and
on the 3rd of June, he wrote to inform Isabella
of the unexpected success which had attended his
application to the great master of Urbino. " As to
what Your Excellency writes regarding the drawings
for the tomb, I hope that by this time your wish
is satisfied, and that you have received Raphael's
— to my mind — altogether appropriate design,
from the hands of Monsignore Tricarico [Lodovico
da Canossa]. Michel Angelo was not in Rome, so
there was no one but Raphael to whom I could
apply, and I feel sure his drawing will please you." ^
The monument, however, was never erected, and
Raphael's sketch has unfortunately disappeared. A

^ Campori, Notizie di Rajffaello, &c.

RAPHAEL'S PORTRAIT 161

singular fatality has attended all the works which
the Urbinate executed for the Gonzagas. We saw
how the portrait of Federico was left unfinished at
the moment of Julius the Second's death. After
the young prince's departure, either Raphael himself
or one of his assistants completed the portrait, which
was found by Castiglione in the possession of one
of Cardinal Colonna's servants, nine months after
Raphael's death. " I hear," wrote the Count to
his lord on the 1st of January 1521, "that a portrait
of Your Excellency, painted by the hand of Raphael,
is here in Rome, and belongs to a servant of the
Most Reverend Colonna. I have tried to buy it,
but the owner will not part from it for anything
in the world. I have therefore applied to the said
Cardinal, telling him that Your Excellency knows
this portrait is in Rome, and has desired me to
procure it for you, so I think the Cardinal will
manage to make you a present of it." ^ Federico was
dehghted to hear of Castiglione's discovery, and
when, on the 19th of February, the precious portrait
reached Mantua, he expressed his warmest thanks
to Cardinal Colonna for a gift which was more
acceptable to him than anything else in the world.
Raphael's portrait is mentioned again in a letter
addressed to Federico at the time of his marriage
by Ippolito Calandra in October 1531. At that
time the ducal apartments in the Castello were
being decorated to receive the prince's bride, and
among the pictures that were hung under Giulio
Romano's direction in one hall, Calandra mentions
" the portrait of Your Excellency by Messer Tiziano,

^ Campori, op. cit., p. 9, &c.
VOL. II. L

162 OF FEDERICO

and that which Raphael of Urbino painted of Your
Excellency in Rome." ^

A hundred years later, when Duke Vincenzo
II. sold the greater part of his priceless collection
to Charles I., we find a small bust-portrait of the
first Duke Federico as a boy, in armour, among
the entries in the inventory of 1G27. The picture
certainly came to England, and is correctly described
in Van der Doort's catalogue of the pictures at
Whitehall and St. James's in 1639, as " The Marquis
of Mantua, who by Charles V. was made first Duke
of Mantua — 5h inches by 8| inches. A Head, on
panel, of a young man with long locks, wearing a red
hat, with a medal." This, it is clear, was Caradosso's
relief of Hercules, which Federico wore when he
sat to Raphael for his portrait. At the sale of the
royal collection during the Commonwealth, this
portrait was described as "A Marquis's Head, by
Raphael, and appraised at £200." According to
Passavant, the portrait was bought for Cardinal
Richelieu, after whose death it returned to England,
and was seen by Dr. Waagen in the Lucy collection
at Charlecote Park, Warwickshire. About twenty
years ago it was sold to a London dealer, and has
not been heard of since.^

When Isabella herself was in Rome, she had, as
we have seen,^ asked Raphael to paint a little picture
for her studio, and after her return to Mantua,
begged Agostino Gonzaga to remind the master of
his promise. In June 1515, Agostino replied that

1 Pungileoni, Elogio,p. 182. D'Arco, op. cit., ii. 153.

2 Claude Phillips, " The Picture Gallery of Charles I.," p. 80.
Waagen, " Kunstwerke in England," p. 476 ; Passavant, Kunstreite,
p. 156.

8 P. 112.

CASTIGLIONE AND RAPHAEL 163

he had spoken to Raphael, who promised to begin
the work shortly. But, knowing by experience
how vain these assurances often proved, the INIarchesa
thought it well to call in Castiglione's help. Ac-
cordingly, when the Count came to Mantua that
summer, she begged him to use his influence with
Raphael on her behalf, and on the 8th of November,
he wrote from Urbino to tell her of his efforts in
this direction.

" When I left Mantua, Your Excellency desired
me to induce Raphael to paint your picture. So 1
wrote to him directly I reached Urbino, and he
replied that he would gladly satisfy your wish.
After that I went to Rome and entreated him so
earnestly that he promised to put all his other works
aside to work for Your Highness. Now he asks me
to send the measurements of the picture, and the
particulars of the lighting, so that he may set to
work without delay. So, if Your Excellency will
send me these, I will see to the rest, and only await
your orders."

Isabella replied in the following letter : —
"Dearest and magnificent Knight, — I have not
answered your letter of the 8th before, as I was
awaiting a trusted messenger. Now I send my
horseman, and thank you warmly for your good
offices with Raphael of Urbino, and for persuading
him to gratify my wish. And for the further exe-
cution of this kind service, I send you by my horse-
man the canvas for the picture, together with the
measurements and lighting, which you will forward
to Raphael, begging him to begin the work and
paint it at his convenience, assuring him, never-
theless, that the sooner he can serve me, the better

164 ISABELLA'S MADONNA

pleased I shall be."^ Mantua, November 30,

1515.

But neither Castiglione's powers of persuasion

nor Raphael's affection for his friend could avail
anything. When the Count returned to Rome in
1519, the Marchesa's picture was still unfinished,
and the Duke of Ferrara's envoy, Paolucci, wrote
to his master : " I have been to see M. Baldassarre
Castiglione, with whom I spoke of Raphael, and
he told me that for a long time past he had been
painting a picture for Madama la Marchesana, but
was so busy with other things that he only worked
at it in his presence. And the Count feels certain
that, when he is gone, he will work at it no more I " ^
Unfortunately, the Count left Rome in November
1519, and since Raphael died in the following
April, we may conclude that Isabella's picture re-
mained unfinished. There is no further mention of
the coveted work in her correspondence, or in the
inventories of her collection. All we know is that
among the " Mantuan pieces " bought by Charles I.
there were two pictures bearing the great Urbinate's
name. One of these was the Holy Family, known as
" La Perla," a picture painted in Raphael's latter days,
and chiefly by the hands of assistants, for Lodovico
da Canossa, which was afterwards acquired by Duke
Vincenzo I. The other was a quadi^etto, described
in the inventory of the King's sale as a Little Virgin
and Christ, and valued at the high price of £800.
Mr. Claude Phillips suggests that this little picture
may have been the Vierge de la Maison d'Orl^ans,
now at Chantilly, which was probably the quadretto

^ Luzio, "Federico Gonzaga," p. 68.
2 Campori, oji. cit., p. 12.

THE VATICAN LOGGIE 165

painted for Duke Guidobaldo of Urbino, and may
have been given to Isabella by her son-in-law. If,
on the contrary, as Campori thinks, the Little Virgin
of the Mantuan collection was the picture painted
by Raphael for the Marchesa in the last years of his
life, it could not have been the Chantilly Madonna,
which evidently belongs to an earlier period. But
there is a Madonna of the Roman period, only partly
the work of Raphael, which may well have been
finished after his death by some inferior hand. This
is the fascinating picture known as the Rogers
Madonna, which was exhibited last winter at Bur-
lington House, and is now the property of Miss
Macintosh. Like the Chantilly Madonna, this
Virgin and Child belonged to the Orleans collection,
and may equally have come to England from
Mantua. It is therefore possible that this sadly
injured painting, which still retains the matchless
charm of Raphael's design, may be the picture on
which Castiglione watched the great master at work
in the last days of his life, and for which Isabella
waited so long in vain.

Castiglione's letters to the Marchesa contain several
other allusions to the wonderful works which were
crowded into Raphael's last year. In a letter of June
16, he writes : " His Hohness takes more dehght in
music than ever, and enjoys every variety of his
favourite art. He also takes great pleasure in archi-
tecture, and is always doing something new in his
palace. The latest addition is a loggia, painted and
adorned with stuccoes in the antique style. This is
the work of Raphael, and is perhaps more beautiful
than anything which has been seen in modern times."

In the same letter Castiglione alludes to an event

166 LONGUEIL IN ROME

which had stirred Roman society to its depths. A
brilliant Flemish scholar, Christoplie Longueil, after
winning the highest honours at the University of
Paris, came to Rome in the year 1516, and quickly
acquired a well - deserved fame in learned circles.
Erasmus, Reginald Pole, Bembo, and Sadoleto all
numbered him among their friends, and it was
proposed to confer the honour of Roman citizen-
ship upon him in recognition of certain orations
which he had pronounced in praise of the Eternal
City. This proposal excited the jealousy of a strong
party in the Roman Academy, who looked coldly on
foreign humanists ; and a young Roman, of noble
birth and high attainments, named Celso Mellini,
boldly accused Longueil of high treason, on account
of an old oration in which he had formerly ventured
to declare that France and Paris were greater than
Italy and Rome. The most intense excitement
prevailed on both sides, and crowds assembled in
the great hall of the Capitol to hear Mellini dehver
his Latin oration before the Pope, the Cardinals, and
Senators of Rome. The tempest of enthusiasm and
rage which the young orator's speech excited is de-
scribed by Castiglione in his usual Uvely style.

"A young Fleming, called Longolio," he writes
to Isabella, "lately came to Rome, and is pronounced
by all who know him to be a most learned man. It
seems that he asked the Conservatori to make him a
Roman citizen, and that his request was granted.
Afterwards it was discovered that some time ago,
when he was very young, he had made an oration in
favour of France, in which he condemned many
things in Rome, and placed the French above the
Romans in all things. Then a young Roman, not

MELLINI'S ORATION 167

yet twenty years, a son of Mario IMellini, sprang up
and delivered a long and eloquent oration in the
finest possible manner. He attacked Longolio in
the Pope's presence with so much power and pathos
that every one wept to hear him describe the cala-
mities which have befallen the city of Rome, and
filled the hearts of his hearers with such hatred
against the guilty man that every one declared if the
Pope had not been present and Longolio had been
there, he would have been thrown out of the windows
and cut to pieces. And His Holiness himself con-
fessed that he was deeply moved. Now a most
eloquent oration is expected from Longolio in his
defence, which will be recited before the Pope by
another noble Roman youth, for this Longolio has
many supporters among the most learned men here,
such as Bembo, Sadoleto, Jo. Batt. Casanova, Bishop
Porcaro, Capella, and others. So you see that we
shall have a whole collection of Latin orations, which
I will try and send Your Excellency.*' ^

Luckily for poor Longueil's safety, he had left
Rome secretly before the trial and returned to Paris.
An eloquent Latin defence from his pen was
afterwards printed by his friends, in which he
maintained that he had broken no Roman laws, but
was the victim of the envy and hatred of the Roman
scholars. Even the Pope, who had been moved to
tears by Celso Mellini's speech, confessed that the
young Roman might be the more eloquent, but that
the Fleming had the better case. Celso, however,
was the hero of the hour. The Archdeacon of Mantua
spoke of him as another Cicero, and told Equicola
how, after the trial, his father, Mario Mellini, enter-

^ D. Gnoli, Giudizio, p. 54.

168 HIS EARLY END

tained the whole Academy at a banquet at his villa
on Monte JNlario, while his rival fled from Rome
in fear of his life. Celso was taken into the Pope's
household and loaded with honours and rewards, and
Longueil consoled himself in the company of Erasmus
at Lou vain. ^ Before long, however, his innocence was
triumphantly vindicated ; he was offered the Latin
chair at Florence by Cardinal Giulio dei Medici, and
invited to return to Rome and receive the honours of
citizenship. But he preferred to settle at Padua, near
his friend Bembo, and died of fever at Venice in 1522.
His brilliant rival's career was also prematurely cut
short. Only a few months after the famous scene in
the Capitol, he was drowmed in a swollen torrent as
he rode into Rome, from the Pope's villa of La
Magliana, on a dark and stormy November night.
All the poets at the papal court lamented the ill-
fated youth in their verses, and the Pope himself
wrote an elegy in his honour. Isabella d'Este,
who had taken the deepest interest in the whole
of this curious story, alludes to his death in the same
letter in which she sorrows over the untimely close of
Raphael's life. On that fatal Easter Eve, when Rome
was filled with mourning and consternation, one of
the Marchesa's many correspondents, Messer Pandolfo
Pico della Mirandola, who often sent her news when
Castiglione and her other friends were absent, took
up his pen and wrote this memorable letter : —

"To the most illustrious and excellent lady,
Madama la Marchesana di Mantova. Although, in
these holy days, our thoughts should be whoUy
occupied in confession and devout exercises, I will
not fail to pay my duty to Your Excellency. For

1 V. Cian, Giorn. St., xix. 155.

DEATH OF RAPHAEL 169

the moment, I have but one thing to tell you. This
is the death of Raphael of Urbino, who passed away
last night, that is to say, on the night of Good
Friday, leaving this court plunged in the most
profound and universal grief for the ruin of those
hopes of the greatest things which were expected
from him, and which, had he lived to realise them,
would have been the glory of this age. And indeed,
as every one says, we had a right to expect the
greatest things from him, seeing those which he had
already accomplished, and the still grander works
which he had begun. The heavens have proclaimed
this death by one of those signs which marked the
death of Christ, when the rocks were opened. Lapides
scissi sunt. In the same way, the Pope's palace has
cracked in such a manner that the building is threat-
ened with ruin, and His Holiness has fled in terror
from his rooms and has gone to those built by Pope
Innocent VIII. Here we talk of nothing but the
death of this great man, who has ended his first life
at the age of thirty-three. His second life, that
immortal fame which knows neither time nor death,
will endure eternally, both by reason of his works and
by the labours of the scholars who will write his
praises, and who will find in him a never-failing theme.
The said Raphael was very honourably buried in the
Rotonda, where he had desired a monument to be
placed at the cost of 1000 ducats, and had endowed
the chapel of his sepulchre with the same amount.
He has also left 300 ducats to each of his servants.
Yesterday we heard from Florence that Michel Angelo
was ill. — Your most faithful servant, Pandolfo di
Pico della Mirandola." ^ Rome, April 7, 1520.

^ Campori, Noiizie di Rajj'acUo, p. 13.

170 ISABELT.A LAMENTS HIS LOSS

Isabella replied on the 16th, from Mantua, by the
pen of her secretary, Mario Equicola, whose style we
recognise in the following note : —

" Messer Pandolfo, — In reply to yours of the 7th,
I have nothing to say but that I grieve deeply for the
death of Messer Raphael, a man worthy of immortal
fame and master of the painter's art. God has taken
from us what He has given to no other, but the laws
of Nature are inevitable and Fate has fixed the term
of life. Therefore we must be patient. We have
heard of the verses wi'itten on the premature death
of the clever Mellini. If we were to grieve for so
gifted a youth as much as his merit deserves, our
sorrow would be endless, but to observe moderation
in all things and to obey the voice of reason is alone
worthy of praise. We would be glad to see those
verses. Blessed indeed is he whose death has been
celebrated by the Pope ! What greater praise could
he have, or by what greater personage could he be
lamented ? Farewell." ^

^ Luzio e Renier, Mantova, p. 233.

CHAPTER XXXI

1519—1520

Titian visits Mantua — Admires Mantegna's works — Visit of the
papal nuncio Chiericati — His letters to Isabella from Spain
and England — Description of the court of Henry VHI.
— Pilgrimage to Ireland, and strange adventures — The
sweating sickness in London — Chiericati helps Isabella to
restore friendly relations with Charles V. — Her influence and
that of Castiglione at the Vatican — Death of Ippolita Torelli
— Letters of the Marchesa and her son to Castiglione — Death
of Cardinal Bibbiena.

Five months before Raphael died in Rome, Titian
paid his first visit to Mantua. In the autumn of
1519, the Venetian master was engaged in painting
his great series of Bacchanals for Alfonso d'Este in
the Castello of Ferrara, and took advantage of a
tournament that was held at the ducal court, to pay
a flying visit to Mantua in company with the court
painter Dosso Dossi. Isabella was unfortunately
absent at Marmirolo, and only heard of Messer
Tiziano's visit afterwards from her faithful corre-
spondent Girolamo da Sestola. On the 22nd of No-
vember the old music master sent her the following
note : —

" Dear and most illustrious Lady, — Some days ago
M. Dosso and M. Tiziano, another good master who
is making a fine painting here in Ferrara for the Lord
Duke, went to JNIantua. He saw all Mantegna's
works, and praised them greatly to our Signor, and

171

172 TITIAN VISITS MANTUA

he also praised your Studios. But, above all, he ad-
mired your Tondo exceedingly, and calls it the finest
thing that he has ever seen. Our Signor has one
here, but Titian says that yours is incomparably
the finest. I commend myself, as ever, to Your
Highness. — Your servant, Girolamo da Sestola,
called Cholgia."^

There can, we think, be little doubt that the
Tondo which Titian admired so much was Mantegna's
famous fresco in the vault of the Sala degli Sposi,
with the blue sky above, and the laughing putti, the
blue-breasted peacock, and women's heads looking
over the parapet. This wonderful perspective of
Andrea's invention excited the admiration of all the
foremost painters of the age, and there was nothing
to compare with it either at Mantua or at Ferrara.
A painter in Alfonso's service, Ercole Grandi, had,
it is true, adopted a similar method in a fresco with
which he decorated the roof of a hall at Ferrara,
but, as Titian justly pronounced, Mantegna's Tondo
was far finer, and the Marchesa had good reason to
be proud of this unrivalled masterpiece.

Another distinguished stranger who visited Man-
tua while Isabella was spending the first months of her
widowhood in comparative seclusion, was the papal
nuncio Francesco Chiericati. Since the days when
the Marchesa met the clever Vicentine secretary at
Milan during Maximilian Sforza's brief reign, he had
risen high in Pope Leo's favour, and had been
employed on many important missions. But he
never wavered in his loyalty to the Gonzagas, or
failed to keep Isabella informed of political events,
as well as of the strange experiences and adventures

^ Luzio in Emporium, 1900, p. 431.

-t] »

CHIERICATl IN ENGLAND 173

that he met with in distant lands. From Spain he
sent her a " Treatise on the History of Castile," which
greatly delighted her, when she was spending the
summer of 1515 at Porto, and when he went to
England as papal nuncio at the close of the year,
he wrote a whole series of interesting and amusing
letters, in which he describes these unknown regions
for her benefit. Chiericati was certainly fortunate in
the moment of his visit to our shores. He came to
London when, early in the reign of Henry VIII., the
young King's accession had inspired all lovers of
learning with the highest hopes, in those happy days
when his friend Erasmus of Rotterdam declared that
the English court contained more persons of real
knowledge and ability than any university in Europe.
The Italian nuncio could not contain his amazement
at the high degree of civiHsation and culture which
he found in this barbarous land. His letters to Isa-
bella abound in praises of the wonderful King, who
could sing and play on all manner of instruments,
who was so gallant a rider and fine a soldier, and at
the same time governed his land so wisely, and was
so generous a friend to scholars — a King indeed, as
Erasmus said, who might well bring back the golden
age. Chiericati spent Palm Sunday with King Henry,
and was charmed with the youthful monarch's genial
manners, and deeply impressed with his wisdom in
the choice of his minister, the Cardinal of York,
who governed the realm with such prudence and
sagacity. The fame of the Mantuan court had
penetrated even to this far-off corner of the West.
Henry told the nuncio there were no horses to
equal those which the Marquis had sent him from
his stables, and which he always rode on state

174 HENRY VIII. AND WOLSEY

occasions, and expressed the greatest satisfaction
when he heard that Francesco Gonzaga was training
some more for his use. His Highness also set great
store on a musician from Brescia, who had been
sent to his court with a recommendation from the
Marquis, and was desired by the King to wait on
His Excellency, when he returned to Italy, and take
him Henry's cordial salutations. Both the King
and his brother-in-law, the Duke of Suffolk, sent
the Marchesa word how gladly they would wel-
come a visit from one of her sons, and Cardinal
Wolsey told Chiericati that, if it pleased Her Excel-
lency to send Federico, or either of his brothers, to
England, he would be a father and protector to the
young prince. In June 1517, Count Jacques de
Luxembourg, accompanied by several Spanish cour-
tiers and prelates, arrived in London on an embassy
from Charles V., to invite Henry to join in a new
league with him and the Emperor. The nuncio
was present at the magnificent reception given to
these envoys by the King, who wore a sumptuous
robe of cloth of gold, in the Hungarian style, while
his nobles were all clad in gold brocade, and wore
the finest chains and collars which Chiericati had
ever seen. A week of festivities followed ; banquets
were given by the Cardinal and Lord Mayor, and
one day the King invited the ambassadors and the
nuncio to dine privately with him in the Queen's
rooms. " This, I am told, is a very unusual thing," re-
marks the writer. " The King himself sang and played
all kinds of different instruments with rare talent, and
then danced, and made the Count dance, and gave
him a fine horse with rich trappings, and a vest of
gold brocade trimmed with sables, worth 700 ducats."

TOURNAMENT AT WHITEHALL 175

" On St. Peter's Day," continues Chiericati, " all the
ambassadors of the league went to court, and the King
heard mass in the Capella Grande below, and wore his
royal robes of brocade and ermine, and a train resplen-
dent with jewels, carried by pages." But the finest
sight of all was the tournament held on the Feast of
the Translation of St. Thomas of Canterbury, in a
jpiazza three times as large as that of S. Pietro of Man-
tua, surrounded by walls, with tiers of seats occupied by
thousands of spectators, with two great pavihons of
cloth of gold on either side. The King appeared on
horseback in a white damask surcoat, embroidered with
his device of roses in rubies and diamonds, with a
helmet on his head, and a richly jewelled breast-
plate valued at 300,000 ducats. He was followed by
forty knights on white horses, with bridles and harness
of pure silver, worked in niello with the King and
Queen's initials and devices, upon which aU the gold-
smiths in the city had been employed for the last
four months. *' The Duke of Suffolk [Suforche in
the nuncio's speUing] rode out at the head of a
similar troop from the opposite pavilion, and when he
met the King in single fight, we seemed to see Hector
and Achilles. After this encounter, the King took
off his armour and appeared in blue velvet, em-
broidered with gold bells, attended by twenty-four
pages in the same livery, and rode before the Queen
on a very tall white horse, prancing and leaping as
it went, and when he had tired out one horse, he
went back to his tent and mounted another." ^

The banquet which followed in the Palace of
Whitehall was on a magnificent scale ; the gold and
silver plate piled on the sideboards was worth a

1 B. Morsolin, F. Chkncati, pp. 124-237.

176 WISE RULE OF HENRY Vlll.

king's ransom, and every variety of meat, poultry,
game, and fish was served at table. All the dishes
were borne before the King by figures of elephants,
panthers, tigers, and other animals, admirably de-
signed ; but the finest things in Chiericati's eyes
were the jeUies made in the shape of castles, towers,
churches, and animals of every variety, "as beauti-
ful and closely copied as possible." " To sum
up," he adds, " most illustrious Madama, here in
England we find all the wealth and delights in the
world. Those who call the English barbarians are
themselves barbarians I Here we see magnificent
costumes, rare virtues, and the finest courtesy. And,
best of all, here we have this invincible King, who is
endowed with so many excellent virtues that he
seems to me to surpass all others who wear a crown
in these times. Blessed and happy is the country
which is ruled by so worthy and excellent a prince !
I would rather live under his mild and gentle sway
than enjoy the greatest freedom under any other
form of government I " ^

In a postscript to this long letter, dated the 10th of
July 1517, the nuncio informs Isabella that the King
and Queen are leaving London to spend the summer
in the country, and that he and his suite are going to
Hibernia to see the Purgatory of St. Patrick and all
the other wonderful things in that island, of which he
has heard so much, and which he will describe to her
on his return. It was many weeks, however, before
Chiericati was able to fulfil his promise, and when he
did so, he was obliged to confess that the experiences
which he had met with in Ireland were hardly those

1 B. Morsolin, op. cU.

VISIT TO IRELAND 177

which he had expected to find in the Island of the
Saints.

" You must know," he wrote from Middelburg in
Zeeland on the 28th of August, " that we left London
with letters from the King, and, after travelling five
days, reached a city called Chmstra [Chester], and
crossed the sea in a day and night to Dublino^ one of
the three metropolitan cities of Hibernia. It is full
of people and ships, which export salt fish, leather,
horses, and cattle, and take back wine and merchan-
dise. Here we were courteously entertained by the
Archbishop and the Count of Childaria [Kildare],
the viceroy of the island, and went on with letters
from them to Doi'da [Drogheda], a city in a pleasant
plain, and five miles further to Doncalch [Dundalk],
once a famous city, but now in ruins. After another
day's journey of twenty-four miles, we reached Arma-
cana [Armagh], the seat of the primate, which has
an abbey of canons, but is very desolate. Here you
find yourself in the midst of savage people, and
leaving the sea, begin to enter the hills. Twenty
miles further we reached the walled city of Clochere
[Clogher], which is full of thieves, and twelve miles
from that another town called Omagh, also full of
thieves. Then we entered Tyrone, a country full of
forests, lakes, and swamps, where the dominion of
England ceases and a native count reigns. Here
are many rivers where, in May and June, pearls are
found hidden in the oysters on the rocks. During
those two months, clouds of black fog settle on the
rivers in the early morning, and when the sun rises
they melt into dew, and if by accident a drop falls
into an open oyster it congeals into a hard white
substance. These are those pearls which are called

VOL. II. M

178 THE PURGATORY

Scottish pearls, and the people find so many of them
that they drive a thriving trade. Here we reached the
banks of a lake [Lough Derg], which is four miles
round and has a rocky island in the centre, 20 steps
long by 16 wide, which is called the Purgatory of St.
Patrick, and is inhabited by three canons. By sound-
ing a horn and waving a white handkerchief on the
end of a pole, we summoned one of the canons' two
servants, who rowed us one by one across the lake in
a rude bark made of a hollow beech-trunk, for which
we paid a penny each. Here we landed and found a
little oratory, with a hut and tables for the canons.
In front of the church door are the three cabins of
St. Bridget, St. Patrick, and St. Columba. Behind,
towards the east, is the well of St. Patrick, a cave in
which the saint is said to have slept. It holds twelve
people, and has an iron door ; but I did not go inside,
fearing to see terrible things. So I remained outside,
standing three steps from the door, and the canons
went in with two pine torches. I looked at the roof,
which is a rock like a mill stone, and when you strike
it you hear an echo, and this has given rise to the
fables we hear about St. Patrick's well. Two of my
companions entered the cave with five other pilgrims,
but I think my penance was worse than theirs, as I
had to await their return almost ten days ! and during
that time I consumed the greater part of the victuals
we had brought with us. On the day of your arrival
you make your will, if you have anything to leave !
Then you confess and fast on bread and water for
nine days, and visit the three cabins every hour, say-
ing any number of prayers. And you have to stand
in the lake, some up to the knees, others half-way
up their bodies, and some up to their necks! At

OF ST. PATRICK 179

the end of nine days you hear mass, communicate,
and are blessed and signed with holy water, and go
with the cross before you to the gate of St. Patrick's
well. Then you go inside and the door is closed,
and not opened until the next day, as you have to
stay there twenty-four hours. The rock is pierced
on one side and a dish with food is put in through
this hole by one of the canons, who stands there and
exhorts the pilgrims to be constant and not to be
overcome by the temptations of the devil, for it is
said that all manner of horrible visions appear to
them, and many come out idiots or madmen, because
they have yielded to temptation. Of those who
entered the cave when I was present, two saw such
fearful things that one went out of his mind, and when
he was questioned, declared that he had been beaten
violently, but by whom he did not know. Another
had seen beautiful women, who invited him to eat
with them, and offered him fruit and food of all
sorts, and these were almost vanquished. The others
saw and felt nothing but great cold, hunger, and
weakness, and came out half-dead the next day.
We revived them as best we could, and their names
were written in a book kept in the church, which
contains the names of all the pilgrims who go there.
The first name I read was that of Guarino da
Durazzo, which I thought must be fabulous, but
now I have found his journey described in an ancient
parchment manuscript. The merit of entering this
Purgatory is, they say, that you not only receive plenary
indulgence, but that through the grace granted to
St. Patrick you will not have to do penance for your
sins in another world. We returned by the same
road to Armagh, and after visiting the Abbey of

180 IRELAND

Verdelino [Newry], travelled thirty-four miles further
to a city on the sea, called Don [Down], where I found
a bishop who comes from Viterbo, an old man of 114
years. His church contains the bodies of St. Patrick,
St. Bridget, and St. Columba, and here we made a
station of three days on our pilgrimage. In this place
I could not walk about the streets without being
pursued by people, who came running out of their
houses to kiss my clothes when they heard that I was
the Pope's nuncio, so I was forced to stay at home.
Such is the annoyance which arises from over-much
religion I But the good old bishop treated me very
kindly, and gave me some excellent fishing. Here
fish are so plentiful that you can buy a salmon of
50 lbs., which would be worth a great deal in Italy,
for a single penny I "

After visiting the stone sepulchre of a giant,
48 feet long, and a spring, sacred to St. Patrick,
which possessed miraculous properties, the travellers
returned to Dublin, and Chiericati concludes his
letter to Isabella with the following summary of his
general impressions of Ireland : —

*' The Island of Hibernia is beyond Scotland and
England, and is a third larger in size. The air is
very temperate and warmer than that of England,
which is very curious. The King owns about a third
part of the sea-coast ; the rest of the country belongs
to different lords, who are little better than peasants.
They call the Pope their king, and stamp the keys
and triple tiara on their coins. The Count of
Childaria is the chief lord, and is a wealthy man
and as civilised as an Englishman, and the maritime
cities are also civilised. The country is poor, and
only produces fish, cattle and chickens. An ox

THE IRISH 181

is worth a ducat, a pair of capons are sold for two-
pence. Fish are hardly worth paying for. The
people are clever and cunning, and very warlike,
and are always quarrelling among themselves. They
live on oat-cake, and mostly drink milk or water.
The men wear cloth shirts dipped in saffron from
head to foot, shoes without stockings, and a grey
cloak {shernia) and felt hat, and are closely shaven,
excepting on the chin. The women are very white
and beautiful, but dirty. They wear the same
saffron-coloured shirts, and red caps a la Carmagnola
on their heads. They are very religious, but do not
hold theft to be wrong, saying that it is sinful to
have property and fortunes of our own, and that
they live in a state of nature, and have all things
in common. And for this cause there are so many
thieves, and you run great risk of being killed or
robbed if you travel without a large escort. In
the northern highlands the people, I hear, are stiU
more savage ; they go naked, live in caverns, and
eat raw meat. This is all I could find out about
the Island of Hibernia and the well of St. Patrick,
and although it is not of great interest, I send this
account to Your Excellency, knowing the inquiring
nature of your mind, and that you not only like to
hear important things, but to learn the smallest
details regarding foreign lands." ^

On his return to London early in August, the
nuncio found a terrible outbreak of the sweating sick-
ness. This mysterious illness attacked some persons
quite suddenly, when they were walking and riding or
travelling, and killed them in twelve, six, or even four
hours. Nothing but corpses were seen lying about the

1 B. Morsolin, op. cit.

182 CHIERICATI AT MANTUA

streets ; many members of the Cardinal's house-
hold had fallen ill, and the Venetian ambassador
was among the victims. But what grieved him
most of all was the death of his dear friend,
Ammonio of Lucca, the King's Latin secretary,
who was carried off by a sudden attack that week.
" Alas I " he wrote to Mantua, " this cruel sickness
has robbed me of him in the short space of eight
hours, and I am torn with a sorrow and anguish
that can find no comfort." Leaving the stricken
city, Chiericati hastened to the court of the Catholic
King, at Middelburg in Zeeland, and wrote to tell
Isabella he hoped soon to return to Italy and pay
his respects to her in person. But urgent affairs
forced him to travel straight to Rome, whence he
was sent in the following spring to Spain, and
witnessed the triumphal entry of the young King
Charles V. into Barcelona. After sending the
Marchesa glowing accounts of the lovely gardens
and myrtle and orange bowers of this delicious
land, the nuncio went on to the south of France,
where he met the Grand Ecuyer, our old friend
Galeazzo di Sanseverino, at Montpelier, in April
1519. Later in the summer he was at length able
to obtain a brief holiday and visit his friends at
Vicenza and Mantua.

The Marchesa welcomed Chiericati warmly, and
acquired much valuable information from him, not
only concerning his travels in distant lands, but
regarding political affairs. He promised to use his
influence on behalf of her son, both with his master
the Pope, and with the new Emperor, Charles V.,
who was supposed to look coldly on the young
Marquis as an ally of his rival, Francis I. The

IN ROME 183

nuncio succeeded in renewing friendly relations
between the Gonzagas and this powerful monarch,
and on his return to Rome, held repeated consulta-
tions with Castiglione as to the best means of
advancing his master's interests. " After leaving
Your Excellency," he wrote to Isabella, on the
28th of September, " I travelled straight to Rome
and kissed the feet of the Holy Father. His
Beatitude received me lovingly, and tells every one
that he will not forget my labours. May God keep
them ever before his eyes. I have written to His
Catholic Majesty, as well as to Monseigneur de
Chievres and others at court, and told them that
I have been at Mantua and found Your Excellency
and the Lord Marquis wholly devoted to His
Majesty's service, and gave them many excellent
reasons for retaining the friendship of your State.
I was obliged to write in this strain in order to
remove the unfair prejudice which had arisen in
His Majesty's mind against Your Excellency and
your son. And I said the same to His Majesty's
ambassador here. If I go to Spain, I will not fail
to let you know. It would be well to use the old
cipher, but if it should be lost by any accident, I
will take care to provide another." ^

Again, on the 26th of October, Chiericati wrote
to give the Marchesa a few details of the treaty
between Charles V. and the Pope, begging her to
keep her counsel until this alliance is made public,
and remarking that she may be glad of a few scraps
of news, although she has so able and diligent an
envoy as Castiglione at the Vatican. Cardinal
Egidio, he also informed Her Excellency, con-

1 B. Morsolin, op. cit, p. l64.

184 CASTIGLIONE

stantly begged to be remembered to her, and wished
her to be assured of his readiness to serve her on
all occasions. Fortunately Pope Leo X., in spite
of his ambitious designs against Ferrara and enmity
to the house of Este, always retained the highest
respect for the Marchesa, and when Castiglione re-
turned to Mantua in November, he sent her a Latin
letter expressing his unalterable admiration and affec-
tion for her person. Undoubtedly the wisdom and
diplomacy of Isabella proved of the greatest service
to her son and State during these early years of
his reign, and we detect the results of her influence
at the Vatican in more than one of the pohtical
developments which marked the last days of Leo
%he Tenth's pontificate. The first object on which
Isabella had set her heart was the elevation of her
son Federico to the post of Captain-General of the
Church. The second was the restoration of her
younger nephew, "Francesco Sforza, to the dukedom
which his elder brother had abdicated. Ever since
the second conquest of Milan by the French, in
1515, the chief partisans of the Sforzas had taken
refuge at the Mantuan court, and, in spite of the
Gonzagas' alliance with Francis I., had kept up secret
communications with the young Duke of Bari, a
brave and spirited prince who won the love of all
his brother's old subjects.^ The hatred in which
the French Viceroy, Lautrec, was held throughout
Lombardy, revived the hopes of the Sforza party,
and, from his exile at Trent, Francesco was only
awaiting a favourable opportunity to return and
claim his own. From the first, Isabella and her
son secretly embraced their kinsman's cause, and

1 Bandello, Novelle, pt i. p. 28.

AT THE VATICAN 185

their hopes seemed on the eve of fulfiknent when,
in May 1521, the Pope entered into a secret treaty
with Charles V. for the expulsion of the French
and the restoration of Francesco Sforza.

In order to further the accomplishment of these
designs, Castiglione w^as again sent to Rome in July
1520. Before the end of the month, he informed
Federico that His Holiness had consulted him on the
advisability of appointing his master Captain- General
of the Church. The Pope further asked him who would
govern Mantua in the absence of the Marquis, upon
which Castiglione replied that Madama had already
shown herself perfectly capable of administering the
State. This satisfied His Hohness completely, but
he enjoined Castiglione to observe the strictest secrecy
and allow no one but Madama and her son to hear of
his proposal. In January 1521, the agreement was
finally drawn up, to the great joy of Isabella, who
saw the fulfilment of her fondest hopes in the
appointment of her beloved son to this honourable
post at so early an age. A few months later, the
news was publicly announced, and excited the greatest
rejoicing in Mantua, while both Isabella and Federico
loaded Castiglione with their thanks and praises.
The Count indeed deserved well of the house of
Gonzaga, and his success in public affairs was the
more remarkable because of the heavy private losses
which he suffered at the time. When he came back
to the Vatican in July, he wrote to his mother that he
could hardly believe himself to be in Rome without
his poor Raphael, and before he had been there a
month, his charming young wife Ippolita, whom he
had left so reluctantly, died a fortnight after giving
birth to her third child.

186 DEATH OF HIS WIFE

On the 20th of August, the poor young Countess
sent her absent husband this touching Httle note : —

" My dear Lord, — I have got a httle daughter, of
which I think you will not be sorry. I have been
much worse than I was last time, and have had three
attacks of high fever, but to-day I feel better, and
hope to have no more trouble. I will not try to
write more, lest I overdo myself, but commend myself
to you with all my heart. — Your wife who is a little
tired out with pain, your Ippolita."^

Meanwhile the happy father, all unconscious of
the impending blow, wrote cheerfully to his mother,
rejoicing over his wife's safety and asking if the
child's eyes were light or dark, and what name they
proposed to give her. When the Count wrote this
letter his wife was already dead. On the 24th of
August she breathed her last, to the consternation of
all her relatives and friends at Mantua. The Mar-
chesa, in her grief and sympathy for Castiglione, sent
a courier to Rome with letters to Cardinal Bibbiena,
begging him to break the news as gently as possible
to the bereaved husband, and then deliver the letters
of condolence which she enclosed from herself and
her son. " I know," she wrote, " that it is difficult and
almost impossible to put any restraint on the grief
which you must feel at the loss of anjrthing so
precious to you as your dearest wife, who, as you
will have heard, lately passed out of this present
world into immortal life. And so we do not ask you
not to sorrow, but condole most sincerely with you,
and feel ourselves the bitterest distress both for your
sake and because of the great love which your late
wife had deservedly won from us."

^ Serassi, Leitere favi. di Castiglione, i.

IPPOLITA 187

When the Mantuan courier reached Rome, he
found the Count at supper with Cardinal Bibbiena,
who only gave him a business letter from Federico,
and kept back the others, so that he might at least
spend that night in peace. The next morning the
Cardinal and some other intimate friends went to the
Count's house and broke the news to him. "We
told him the sad news as best we could," wrote
Bibbiena, "and Your Excellency will understand
how great his distress was — so much so, indeed, that
not one of us could keep back our tears, and we aU
wept together for some time." ^

"I never dreamt," Castiglione wrote the next
day, "that my poor wife would have to take this
journey before me. God have pity on that blessed
soul, and may He not leave me here too long after
her, for it is very hard to see her die first."

After the first shock was over, the Count bore
himself bravely, and devoted his whole energies to
public affairs, but, as Bibbiena remarked in a letter
to the Marquis, he suffered more than he cared to
show, and the memory of the wife whom he had loved
so well was never absent from his mind.^ Before
long a fresh sorrow overtook him in the death of
his old and faithful friend, Cardinal Bibbiena, who
expired on the 9th of November, only seven months
after Raphael. In him Isabella also lamented a gifted
friend, who had served her loyally in former days, and
who still, in spite of political changes and conflicting
interests, professed the most devoted attachment to
her person.

1 Luzio e Renier, Mantova, p. 24-4.

2 Serassi, Lettere fam., i. 15, &c.

CHAPTER XXXII

1520—1522

nie Court of Mantua under Federico — Visit of the Marquis to
Venice — His mistress, Isabella Boschetti — The Marchesa goes
to Loreto — The Duke of Urbino forced to leave Mantua —
Federico leads the papal troops against the French — Capture
of Milan — Retreat of Lautrec — Death of Pope Leo X. —
Cardinal Gonzaga aspires to the Papacy — Election of Adrian
VI. — Francesco Maria recovers Urbino — Francesco Sforza
returns to Milan — Defence of Pavia by Federico, and defeat
of the French — Isabella's new apartments in the Corte
Vecchia — The Paradiso.

The accession of a young and pleasure-loving prince
to the throne produced a marked change in the court
of Mantua, and the carnival of 1520 was celebrated
with revived gaiety and splendour. On this occasion
the chief feature of the festivities was the performance
of Cardinal Bibbiena's " Calandria " under the direction
of Castiglione,^ who had superintended the first re-
presentation at Urbino seven years before, and who
did not leave for Rome until July. In May, the
young Marquis and his brother Ercole accompanied
the Duke and the two Duchesses of Urbino to
Venice for the Ascension fetes, and were received
with great courtesy by the Doge and Senate.
Federico stayed with his ambassador in Casa Foscari,
and was entertained at a series of splendid banquets,
processions of boats, and illuminations, given by the
company of young patricians known as the Immortals,

^ D'Ancona, Origini del Teatro, ii. 397.

188

ISABELLA BOSCHETTI 189

to which he had been lately admitted. Isabella, how-
ever, declined to join the party, and looked coldly on
the whole proceeding. For her son insisted on taking
with him to Venice his great favourite, Isabella
Boschetti, the fair young wife of his kinsman, Fran-
cesco Gonzaga, Count of Calvisano ; and his mistress,
as Sanuto openly calls her,^ attended mass with him
in S. Marco and appeared at all the fetes. This is
the first mention we find of this lady, whose influence
over the young Marquis proved so powerful during
the next ten years, and caused his mother so much
pain.

In October, the Marchesa herself went on a
pilgrimage to Loreto, after paying a visit to Ferrara,
where her brother, the warlike Cardinal Ippolito, had
lately died, and where Alfonso was himself ill and
harassed by the Pope's perpetual intrigues and plots
against him. Even Isabella and Castiglione were
unable to effect any change in the policy of Leo,
who looked on the Duke as his bitter foe, and was
bent on the annexation of Ferrara to the Papal States.
But at least Castiglione kept Alfonso aware of the
Pope's secret designs against him, and his cipher
letters to Mantua contain repeated warnings and
hints, which Isabella promptly conveyed to her
brother.

Neither did Leo the Tenth's resentment against
the exiled Duke of Urbino show any signs of abate-
ment. In January 1521, when he offered Federico
the post of Captain-General, he insisted that this
prince and his family should leave Mantua, and
although Isabella was successful in obtaining permis-
sion for her daughter and sister-in-law to remain in

1 Diarii, xxviii. 529, &c.

190 DEATH OF LEO X.

the town, Francesco Maria was driven to take shelter
first at Venice and afterwards at Verona. Castighone
meanwhile did his best to obtain more favourable
terms for the ducal family, and wrote to assure
Duchess Elisabetta of his unchanging loyalty and
devotion to her, " remembering," he said, '* that the
best years of my life were spent in your service."
The good Duchess could only reply that she placed
her trust in a higher Power and knelt all day in the
churches of Mantua, praying God to bless and prosper
her nephew's cause.^

In August, Federico took command of the papal
troops and joined the imperialist general, Prospero
Colonna, in a successful campaign against Lautrec.
On the 19th of November, Milan was seized and the
French retired on Cremona, only retaining a garrison
in the Castello. The news reached Leo X. at his
villa of La Magliana, on the 25th of November, and
filled him with joy. Already he formed the wildest
schemes for the advancement of his family, and
spoke openly of inducing the Emperor to confer the
duchy of Milan on Cardinal Medici in the place of
Francesco Sforza. But the next day he caught cold
out hunting, and showed symptoms of fever. On the
30th, he became seriously ill, and died on the following
evening, at the early age of forty-five. There was
the usual outcry that the Pope had been poisoned,
which Castiglione, who was at La MagUana with
him, at one time firmly believed. But there was no
ground for the suspicion, and the autopsy of the
corpse satisfied the doctors that death was due to
natural causes.

This unexpected event excited general constema-

^ Martinati, Notizie intorno di Castiglione.

JOY OF ALFONSO D'ESTE 191

tion among the late Pope's friends. Not only had
Leo X. left 300,000 ducats of debts, but the pontifical
jewels and plate, the tiaras and mitres, even the
silver dinner-services of the papal household and the
costly Flemish tapestries of the Sistina, were all
pawned. " Never," wrote the Venetian envoy, " has
a Pope died in worse repute." And Pasquino, as
the Mantuan, Alfonso Facino, informed Isabella, was
equally merciless. " Like a fox Leo X. rose to power,
like a Hon he reigned, like a dog he has died," were
the words inscribed by some wit on the statue. " If
1 were to describe the poverty and straits to which
the Cardinals' College is reduced," wrote Castiglione,
" no one would beheve me." At the same time he
greatly lamented the Pope's death, and assured
Federico that he had lost a true friend. " I do not
think Your Excellency quite realises the great loss
you have sustained, for, if I am not greatly mistaken,
it was His Holiness's wish and intention to exalt you
to the highest places. But God has shattered all our
vain plans." And he concludes by urging Cardinal
Gonzaga to come to Rome as soon as possible, since
his arrival may lead to great results.^

But there were others nearly related to Federico
who rejoiced with unfeigned satisfaction at the Pope's
death. The Duke of Ferrara hailed the news with
joy and struck medals with the motto. Ex ore
Leonis — " Out of the Hon's mouth " — to commemo-
rate his deliverance, and set to work immediately to
recover the cities of which the Pope had deprived
him. The Duke of Urbino was still more prompt in
his action. He was at Maguzano on the Lake of
Garda, spending the weary hours of his exile in

* Contiiij Castiglione, Lettere diplomatiche.

192 RETURN OF THE DUKE OF URBINO

enforced idleness, when the news reached him.
Without a moment's delay he hurried back to
JNIantua, raised what troops and money he could get
together with the help of the Marchese and the
Duke of Ferrara, and hastened to Urbino, " called
back/' says Guicciardini, "by the love of his sub-
jects."^ They rose in arms with one accord, drove
out the papal governor, and welcomed their old ruler
back with shouts of " Feltre I Feltre I " The good
news soon reached Mantua, and Elisabetta felt that
her best prayers were answered, and mingled her tears
of joy with those of Leonora and her mother. On
the 18th of December, Isabella was able to congratu-
late her son-in-law on his triumphant restoration, and
a few days later Castiglione wrote to her from Rome :
" I hear that the Duke of Urbino has recovered his
whole State and entered Pesaro without opposition.
God grant that he may remain there long ! " ^

The Pope's death had the effect of checking hos-
tilities for a time in Lombardy. The papal army
melted away, and Federico Gonzaga was forced to
advance money for the payment of the small force
which he managed to keep together in Milan.
Francis I., who had always retained a feeling of
friendship for the young Marquis, and had sent him
the collar of S. Michel on his accession, took advan-
tage of the difficult position in which he was placed,
to invite him to enter his service. Federico court-
eously declined the offer, but seems to have felt
some hesitation, and consulted his mother before
breaking off negotiations on the subject. The answer
which Isabella sent his secretary, Stazio Gadio, in

1 Storia d' Italia, iii. 223.
' Serassij Lettere di Negozi.

ISABELLA'S ADVICE 193

cipher is highly characteristic of her wise and far-
seeing poUcy : —

" I showed our illustrious Madama your cipher
despatch," wrote Equicola, who had followed Fede-
rico to the wars, but finding the hardships of the
camp little to his taste, had obtained leave to return
home. " She had already heard most of its con-
tents from Signor Federico himself, who informed
her of the eagerness with which the French are
seeking our lord's alliance. She feels the greatest
pleasure in seeing our Signor, her son, so highly
esteemed and sought after by so many great powers,
which is a clear sign that both his own merits and
the importance of his person and State are recognised.
But she is strongly of opinion that he should form
no new alliance until the creation of the new Pope,
because that will best decide our future course of
action. Her Excellency hopes that her son may
be able to continue in the service of the Church,
especially if the Pope is allied with the Emperor,
as he has been of late, because the Church will
doubtless in the end prove victorious, and, even if
defeated, will always be respected, and she considers
this alliance to be the safest for this State. Of course,
if a new Pope is elected from whom we could
not hope for the protection and office which our
lord received from Pope Leo, of blessed memory,
we must seek for new allies without delay. But
Madama certainly thinks that the new Pope, who-
ever he may be, is sure to esteem the person of
your Signor highly, because of his past services
and because it has been seen in the past how im-
portant the Marquis of Mantua is to the Church.
This, Madama tells me, is her opinion, which I send

VOL. II. N

194 THE CONCLAVE MEETS

you, agreeably to the wishes of our Signor, to whose
favour I commend myself," &c.^

When the Marchesa dictated this letter, all eyes
were turned to Rome, where the Conclave had
already met and the election of the new Pope was
hourly expected. On hearing of Leo the Tenth's
death. Cardinal Giulio Medici, the late Pope's
nephew, and the warlike Swiss prelate, Cardinal
Schinner, both left the camp of the League at Milan,
and hurried to Rome. Cardinal Gonzaga followed
Castiglione's advice and travelled thither as fast as
his gouty legs would carry him. Sigismondo, strange
as it may seem, was one of the eighteen candidates
for the Papacy on this occasion. A shrewd politi-
cian and genial man of the world, the Mantuan
Cardinal had always been noted for his secular
habits. As long ago as 1498, when Lodovico Moro
came to Mantua, Capilupi begged Isabella to see
that Monsignore, her brother-in-law, shaved his beard
and appeared in public in his ecclesiastical habit, or
he might create a bad impression. In later years, he
was described by the Venetian envoy in Rome,
Marino Zorzi, as very fat, a martyr to gout, and
particularly fond of eating oysters. Now Pasquino
openly mocked at him and called him a babbling
fool. But he was popular with his brother cardinals,
and CastigUone left no stone unturned to promote
his interests. His correspondence with Isabella while
the Conclave was sitting shows how anxiously she
awaited the result of an election which was fraught
with issues of such importance to her house.

" Here," he wrote, " opinions as to who the new
Pope will be, differ more than I have ever known,

^ D'Arco, Notisie d' Isabella, p. 86.

CARDINAL MEDICI 195

God grant things may turn out better than we
expect. ... I have worked day and night in order
that JNIonsignore di Mantova should attain this sup-
reme rank, and I have spoken with all of the Signori
in this court, and although I am little skilled in these
matters, yet from having had some acquaintance
with these lords, I really believe that if I had been
present at the Conclave, I might have rendered His
Reverence important service. But if it is God's wiU
that he shall be chosen, he will need no help from

me Monsignore dei Medici certainly has many

friends, but several among them have proved to be
enemies, amongst others Cardinal Colonna. I hear
that Signor Prospero has written him a letter, secretly
begging him to oppose Cardinal dei Medici with all
his might, which seems to me a piece of ingratitude." ^
Never had party spirit run so high, never before
had so many different candidates been put forward.
"There is marvellous division," wrote the English
envoy, John Clerk,^ to Cardinal Wolsey, "and we
were never likelier to have a schism." And the Im-
perial Ambassador, Don Juan Manuel,^ informed his
master that there could not be so much hatred or
as many devils in hell itself, as there were in the
Sacred College. Cardinal Medici, whose claims were
supported by all the younger Cardinals and the
Emperor, was \'iolently opposed by Francis I., who
sent the College word that if this "man, who had
been the cause of the war, became Pope, he and his
whole kingdom would refuse to obey the Church."
Henry VIII. tried in vain to obtain Wolsey 's elec-

1 Serassi, Lettere, i. 3-5.
* Brewer, Letters, in. pt. iL
8 Bergenroth Calendar, 370.

196 ELECTION OF ADRIAN VI.

tion, and when the opposition of the Colonnas
rendered Cardinal Medici's prospects hopeless, he and
his friends supported Cardinal Farnese. " There was
a report yesterday," wrote a Mantuan agent to
Isabella, " that Farnese was Pope, and his house was
nearly sacked I Several couriers set off with the
news, but it turned out to be false, and when his
servants were seen in the streets, the mob jeered at
them, and cried out, *Make room for the Pope's
servants I '" ^

As the Conclave prolonged its sittings, the popular
excitement grew more intense. Party spirit ran high,
and bets were freely given and taken on the chances
of the different favourites. " To-day," wrote Abbot
Lodovico Gonzaga to Federico, " Farnese, who went
up 50 per cent, two days ago, has gone down to
18, and our Cardinal has dropped to 13 per cent.
My dear lord, I confess I am much afraid of the
result. To-day there is great murmuring in Rome,
and the Cardinals are threatened with bread and
water if they do not make haste." ^

When, at length, on the 9th of January, the
election of Adrian of Utrecht, Cardinal of Tortosa,
the Emperor's former tutor, and now his Viceroy
in Spain, was announced, a cry of rage and dismay
burst from the Roman mob. " The city," wrote the
Venetian, " is full of weeping and curses." JRoma est
hcanda was written up on the Vatican. At first it
seemed almost impossible to believe that a "barba-
rian," whose name was almost unlaiown, and who was
not even present at the Conclave, should be elected
Pope. The Cardinals themselves could not explain

1 Luzio, Giom. St. d. Lett. It., xix. 83.
« Rid,

ANGER OF THE ROMANS 197

tlieir action, and slunk home, ashamed and dejected,
amid the hisses and jeers of the crowd. Alone among
his comrades Cardinal Gonzaga preserved his com-
posure, and smilingly thanked the mob for being
content with curses, and not revenging their wrongs
with stones I And the same evening he addressed
the following letter to Isabella : —

" To-day these excellent Cardinals and myself
have at length come out of the Conclave, where
we have spent a fortnight in the greatest discomfort
and fatigue, both of body and mind, owing to our
endless quarrels. And after all this, we have — no
doubt according to the will of God, since all is
ordered by Him — elected a Pope who is, as people
say, a holy man. I, for one, have never seen him.
As for my own disappointment, I did my best, and
cannot complain that any of these Cardinals deceived
me. Only this unexpected event, which was never
dreamt of by me or any one else, has shattered my
hopes. Just when I felt sure of reaching the desired
end, the greater part of the Cardinals went and gave
their votes to this man, simply as a means of throw-
ing them away, without knowing what the others
were doing, and when all the votes were read out,
he was found to have no less than fifteen 1 My
plans have not succeeded. No I and I caimot pre-
tend that I am not very much disappointed ; but at
least I have realised the esteem in which I am held
by my colleagues, and must hope for better luck
another time." ^

Federico, as Captain-General of the Church, re-
ceived the news of Adrian VI. 's election on the
same day, both from Don Juan Manuel, who, with

^ Luzio, op. cit., xix. 8H.

198 RESTORATION OF

all the Imperial party, rejoiced at the election of
their master's nominee, and from the disappointed
candidate, Cardinal Medici, who wrote a hurried
note to the Marquis as he left the Conclave, giving
the new Pope's name without any comment. The
last-named prelate was anxious to keep up the same
friendly relations with the Gonzagas as before, and
Isabella on her part lost no opportunity of strength-
ening her son's position. Castiglione succeeded in
obtaining Federico's confirmation in his office from
the new Pope, and Adrian's surrender of the duchy
of Urbino to its rightful lord. And when, in
February 1522, Cardinal Medici sent a confidential
envoy from Florence to the Emperor, he spent a
night at Mantua, and was closeted with Madama
la Marchesana during more than two hours.^ The
Venetian ambassador reported that the said envoy,
Giovanni Matteo dei Medici, was sent by the Car-
dinal to arrange the terms of the agreement between
Florence and the Duke of Urbino, and to propose
a marriage between Francesco Maria's little son
Guidobaldo and Caterina, the infant daughter of
his old rival, Lorenzo dei Medici. In the same inter-
view, he adds, Madama eloquently pleaded the cause
of her brother the Duke of Ferrara, and her nephew
the Duke of Milan, and desired the Florentine envoy
to lay her requests before the Emperor. The result
of these negotiations soon appeared in the arrival of
Francesco Sforza at Mantua. Although the young
Duke's chancellor Morone had taken possession of
Milan in his name, he himself had been detained at
Trent for lack of money and troops to fight his way
through the Swiss mercenaries in the pay of the

* M. Sanuto, Diarii, xxxii. 457.

FRANCESCO SFORZA 199

French king, and it was only in March that he was
strong enough to descend into Italy. On the 12th
of March, Castiglione wrote from Rome to the
Marchesa, complaining that every one had letters
from Her Excellency but himself, and that he felt
very unhappy, since Madama had not written for
a thousand years ! " God grant," he exclaims, " that
your secretaries may be a Httle more diligent in
future I " "I rejoice exceedingly," he goes on, " to
hear that the Signor Marchese is soon to escort
the Duke of Milan to his home, which is here held
for certain." And in a postscript he adds that
a messenger has just arrived who had seen the
Signor Duca himself in Mantua. " God send us
soon news that the French are beaten, and that the
Signor Duca is not only at Mantua, but in Milan I " ^
A few days later he heard that the Marquis, at
the head of 300 men, had escorted his cousin to
Pavia, and that Francesco Sforza had entered Milan
between Prospero Colonna and Antonio de Leyva,
the Captains of the League, and had been received
with incredible joy and love by his father's old sub-
jects. Lautrec now concentrated all his forces on
Pavia, which was valiantly defended by Federico
Gonzaga, who successfully repulsed a determined
assault of the French, and, in spite of the small
number of his force and the lack of artillery, com-
pelled them to retire to Monza. On the 27th of
April, a decisive battle took place between Lautrec's
army and the forces of the League under Prospero
Colonna and the Duke of Milan, in which the com-
bined French and Swiss troops were completely
defeated. After this, Lautrec retreated across the

^ Serassi, op. cit.

200 FEDERICO'S EXPLOITS

Alps, and Cremona and the Castello of Milan were
the only fortresses which remained in the hands of
King Francis. Federico acquired great fame by his
brilliant feats of arms, and was welcomed with great
rejoicing on his return to Mantua after this victorious
campaign. Isabella received congratulations from all
sides, and could not contain her pride and joy in her
son's triumph.

" I will only send a brief reply to Your Excel-
lency's letter to-day," wrote Castiglione, "for I think
you must be so proud and happy that you can hardly
care to read my letters, or those of any one else, and
that with good reason, since, as you write, you have
never seen the Signor Marchese look as handsome
as he does now, and it is certain that you have never
before seen him so glorious and renowned. If His
Excellency wins as much fame in the next ten years
of his life as he has done in the last ten months,
the world will hardly be able to contain his glory.
Never have I heard a youth in ancient or modern
times praised as he is to-day. God grant others may
follow in his steps, and then not only Mantua, but all
Italy will have much to glory in I " ^

Fortune seemed indeed just then to smile on
Isabella, and her dearest hopes were crowned with
success. In May the Duchesses of Urbino returned
to Urbino. Leonora's young son Guidobaldo was
left at Mantua as a hostage in his uncle's hands,
and began to learn Latin and to read Virgil under
his grandmother's watchful eye. For a time peace
was restored to the ill-fated Milanese, and Isabella
saw with joy how her nephew endeared himself to
his subjects. Although little of her correspondence

* Serassi, op. cit.

THE DUKE OF MILAN 201

with Francesco Sforza has been preserved, the young
Duke remained on affectionate terms with his aunt,
as we see by the following letter, which he wrote in
reply to her urgent request that he would endeavour to
make his uncle Alfonso's peace with the Emperor : —
" Most Illustrious Lady, my honoured Aunt and
Mother, — The other day I received a letter from
Your Excellency which gave me the greatest pleasure,
only I was quite sorry to see that it was written by
your own hand, for you ought really not to take so
much trouble for me, seeing I am always satisfied with
your signature. Since then Grossino has given me
Your Excellency's message, and I am exceedingly
glad to hear how much you desire to see your illus-
trious brother, my honoured lord and uncle, reconciled
with His Cesarean Majesty, and to learn that you
wish me to do my best, in order that His Majesty
may accept the Duke as his loyal servant and
receive him into favour. Your Excellency knows
how much reverence and affection I bear to you, and
may rest assured that during the last days I have
done my utmost in this quarter, and have exerted
myself as vigorously as if it had been on behalf of
my own person and State. I wrote both to the
Viceroy and to His Majesty, as well as to those
particular friends of mine at his court, who are
persons of great influence, and will, I know, do their
best, and I feel sure that the Lord Duke's quarrel will
be made up with His Majesty, and through him with
His Holiness. If I had not desired this already on
my own account, the sense of Your Excellency's great
anxiety on the subject would be enough to make me
promise on my honour to do my utmost both with
His Caesarean Majesty and in the other quarter.

202 AND HIS AUNT

But this is both my duty and my inclination, and
I desire the settlement of the Lord Duke's affairs as
sincerely as that of my own. I remember who my
father and mother were, and desire the good of the
house of Este as much as I care for the prosperity of
the house of Sforza. Could I ever wish that State
should belong to the Church and the name of that
house be extinct? Certainly not. My mother, of
blessed memory, was, I know well, your sister, and I
am not ashamed, but very proud, as I may well be, of
having had such a mother. Grossino tells me that
Your Excellency begs me to put away and forget
any disagreement there may have been in the past
between the Duke and myself. But there has never
been anything of the kind which could make me wish
for his ruin. It is no doubt true that I wish His
Excellency would become the servant of the Emperor
and not of the King of France ; but whether this,
which I hope to see ere long, be the case or not, I
assure you that His Excellency is as much the master
of my State as of Ferrara, and that I honour him
with the respect of a son for his father and lord.
Your Excellency knows that I am ever your obedient
nephew, son, and servant, and I humbly commend
myself to you. — Francesco, Duke of Milan."*
Pavia, August 12, 1520.

On a subsequent occasion, when the Marchesa
had an unfortunate difference with her son, who had
thrown one of her confidential servants, Leonello
Marchese, the lawyer who had made her husband's
will, into prison to gratify his mistress, Isabella
Boschetti, she sent the novelist, Matteo Bandello,
to entreat the Duke of Milan to use his influence

1 Luzio, Archivio St. Lombardo, 1901, p. 170.

FEDERICO'S MISTRESS 203

with his cousin on behalf of the innocent man.
Francesco promptly complied with her request, and
sent the wisest and most able jurist at Milan, Bene-
detto Tonso, back with Bandello to Mantua to ask
for Marchese's release.^

In after years Isabella herself was able to render
her nephew important services and help him to re-
cover the Emperor's favour at a critical moment.
For the present, however, Italy enjoyed a brief
interval of peace, and Isabella was once more able to
put poUtical affairs aside and turn her attention to
pleasanter subjects. One of these was the decoration
of her new apartments in the Corte Vecchia. A year
after her husband's death, Isabella, who had long felt
cramped in the small rooms of the Castello, obtained
her son's consent to move into the Corte Vecchia,
where she already kept her library and works of art
in the Grotta on the ground floor. Federico on his
part was glad to occupy the Castello himself, and in
October 1520 he addressed the following letter to his
cousins, the sons of Gianfrancesco and Antonia del
Balzo. These three princes — Lodovico, who after his
wife's death took orders and became known as the
Abate Gonzaga ; Federico of Bozzolo, the gallant
captain in the service of Francis I. ; and Pirro, the
lord of Gazzuolo — had hitherto been allowed the use
of a palace in Mantua, close to the Castello. This
house the Marquis now asked them to give up to the
Duke and Duchesses of Urbino, in order to leave the
Corte Vecchia free for his mother's use. "As you
may already know, our illustrious mother has for
several months past wished to lodge for the future in
the Corte Vecchia, both for her convenience and for

^ Bandello, Novelle, pt ii. 56.

204 ISABELLA'S NEW ROOMS

our own, and has had the rooms in this building
repaired and altered after her own taste in the best
and most suitable manner. One thing, however,
which is of great importance, still remains to be
settled. That is to provide rooms for the illustrious
Duke and Duchesses, our honoured brother-in-law,
nephew, aunt, and sister, because it is impossible that
all of these different households should occupy the
same palace as that of the said Madama, our mother,
without inconveniencing each other. After much
consultation on the subject, Madama and we our-
selves feel that the only place suitable for the said
Duke and Duchesses is the palace which Your High-
ness occupies in the Piazza di Mantova, together
with your illustrious brothers, to whom I am writing
the same thing. And since we desire the comfort of
Madama, our mother, above all else, and are far more
anxious for this than for our own convenience, we
pray Your Highness to have the goodness to give up
the said palace."

A splendid suite of sixteen rooms for the Mar-
chesa's use was accordingly prepared by the architect
Viani and the Mantuan painter Leombruno in the
Corte Vecchia. To-day only the so-called Scalcheria
retains any remains of the original decoration. Here
Leombruno, who had been sent to Rome to study
the works of Raphael and Michel Angelo under
Castighone's direction, by his employers, painted a
series of hunting scenes on the walls, and adorned
the ceiling with a fresco in imitation of Mantegna's
Sala degli Sposi. But on the frieze of the coi^tile or
garden court opening from the Grotta, above the
delicately carved Ionic pillars and niches, adorned
with marble mosaics, which held Isabella's choicest

THE PARADISO 205

antiques, we may still read the following inscription :
^^ Isabella Estensis, regum Aragonum neptis, ducum
Ferrarice Jilia et soror, Marchioruvi Gonzagarum con-
jux et mater, fecit anno a partu Virginis, MDXXII."
From this we learn the exact date of these additions to
the Grotta, which were evidently completed in 1522.
To the same period we may ascribe the beautiful
suite of Camerini on the upper floor of the same build-
ing, known as the Paradiso, from the lovely views
which it commands over the terraced gardens and wide
lakes. These four little rooms which Isabella kept
for her private use still retain much of their original
decoration — ^the finely carved wood-work, the azure
and gilding of the ceiling, the delicately inlaid panelling
of the walls, and the doors of richly coloured marbles.
Here, between intarsiatura views of cities and palaces,
we recognise her favourite devices and mottoes, the
musical notes and rests, and the words Nee spe nee
metUy which supplied Equicola with a subject for his
treatise, the altar supporting a lyre, the candelabra
with the letters U.T.S., which Paolo Giovio interprets
as Unum sufficit in tenehris, and the Lotto cards
with the mystic number XXVII., vinti sette, signify-
ing that she had vanquished all her foes — which
motto, adds the Bishop of Nocera, " seems allowable
in so great a princess."^ Here we see the white
marble door adorned with medallions of antique
myths, of Orpheus and Athene and Calliope, by
the hand of the great sculptor Cristoforo Romano,
which was brought here from the Marchesa's Studio
in the Castello, as weU as another marble door of
later workmanship, which was probably executed by
the Venetian Tullio Lombardo in 1523. And here

' Paolo Giovio, Delle Imprese, p. 59-

206 CASTIGLIONE IN ROME

too we may still find Isabella's name, repeated at
intervals upon the panelled frieze, and remember
that the peaceful days of her declining years were
spent in these sunny little rooms looking over the
bright waters to Virgil's birthplace, and the green
meadows through which the Mincio flows to join
the Po.^ The decoration of these new apartments
occupied a large share of Isabella's time and thoughts
in these years. We find her writing to Rome
and Venice for marbles, asking her agents to send
her antique busts and bas-reliefs, and collecting
works of art with all her old energy. Castiglione, as
usual, was one of her chief assistants, and his letters
from Rome were by no means exclusively devoted to
State affairs. One day he sends her a full account of
the carnival fetes and comedies at the Vatican, cold and
lifeless as he confesses them to have seemed to him
this year ; another, he collects the latest and most
scurrilous verses of Pasquino for her benefit, or
tells her how Bandello's friend, the witty story-teller,
Strascino, has been amusing His Holiness with his
comic recitations, and is promptly desired to send
him to Mantua for the next carnival. At one time
he tells her of a reUef which Caradosso, questo mala-

1 Some years ago, a model of Isabella d'Este's Studio in this
apartment of the Paradiso, designed by the well-known French
writer M.Charles Yriarte,was placed in the Italian Court in the South
Kensington Museum. The decorations of the walls and ceiling are
carefully reproduced, but M. Yriarte was mistaken in supposing
that the fine tempera paintings by Mantegna, Costa and Perugino
ever adorned these Camerini. These pictures were originally exe-
cuted for Isabella's Studio of the Grotta on the ground floor of the
Corte Vecchia, and remained there, as we know from inventories
and documents published by D'Arco (^Arte e Artefici, ii.), until after
the sack of Mantua in l630.

[I'hoto, rrciiii, Maiitiui,.

PARADISO. CASTELLO DI MANTOVA.

[To Jace p. 206, vol. ii.

AN ALABASTER ORGAN 207

detto vecchio, promised him long ago, but has not
yet finished. "I go to see him every day, and he
works at the design all the while, and says he
wishes to make it as beautiful as possible, because it
is the last that he will ever do in his life, and he is
so old, this may well be the case."^ Another day
he describes a wonderful alabaster organ, a most ex-
cellent work, which he has succeeded in buying for
600 ducats, and hopes to send her if it is possible to
find a sufficient number of mules to convey the pre-
cious instrument to Mantua. But he must take care
to elude the custom-house officers of Rome, who are
the greatest rogues in the world, and ask no less than
200 ducats I " If I can manage this," he remarks, " I
think I shall have worked a miracle I " But the
Count was indefatigable where his mistress's pleasure
was concerned, and by the end of August 1522, the
different portions of the organ were loaded on the
backs of ten mules, and sent to Mantua, in the charge
of the " master of organs " who had made the instru-
ment. We do not hear if the papal officials exacted
the whole of their 200 ducats, or if Castiglione was
able to obtain an exemption in the Marchesa's favour,
but the alabaster organ reached Mantua safely, and
was placed in the Studio of the Grotta.^

All through that year the works in the Castello
were in progress, and while the Marquis was absent
in Lombardy, Mario Equicola wrote daily reports
of the latest improvements that had been effected.
"These splendid rooms with all their pictures make me
feel," he writes in February 1522, " as if I were hving
in the days when the Romans raised those monu-

* Luzio, Nuova Antologia, 1896, p. 308.
2 Bertolotti, Ariisti, &c.

208 FEDERTCO'S STABLES

ments which are the wonders of the world ! In Your
Excellency's bedroom are four tondi, and one large
panel where Fame might be represented between War,
Victory, Virtue, and Hope. In the Camera della Fede
your portrait might be hung with representations of
ancient heroes who have kept faith. ..." As for the
stables (always an important part of the Mantuan
palace), they are so fine that he wishes he were a horse
to live there I and suggests that Virgil's line should
be written over the doors : " Hinc bellator equus
campo sese arduus infert."^

1 Luzio, Giom. St. d. Lett., 1900, p. 15.

CHAPTER XXXIIl

1522—1525

Ercole Gonzaga — Isabella tries to obtain his elevation to the
Cardinalate — Consults Castiglione and Trissino as to the
choice of a tutor — Sends Ercole to Bologna — He attends
Pomponazzi's lectures — The great sceptic — His " Treatise on
Immortality" burnt at Venice — Ercole's life at college — M.
Lazzaro his teacher — Death of Pietro Pomponazzi — Veneration
of Ercole Gonzaga for his memory.

While Isabella lavished her tenderest affections on
her eldest son, Federico, she did not neglect her
younger children. She was especially anxious to
give her second son, Ercole, who was destined for
the Church, and already showed a genuine taste
for letters, the best possible education. At fifteen
Ercole was consecrated Bishop, and appointed co-
adjutor to his uncle, Cardinal Sigismondo. But
his mother's ambition soared still higher, and in the
last months of Leo the Tenth's life, she made great
efforts to obtain a Cardinal's hat for the youthful
prelate. Several letters on the subject passed be-
tween her and Castiglione, and only a week before
the Pope's death the Marchesa renewed her request,
and desired the Count to inform His Holiness that
she had decided to send Ercole to complete his
studies at the University of Bologna. The sudden
close of Leo the Tenth's Ufe put an end to these
hopes. Not only was there already one Cardinal
in the Gonzaga family, but among the reforms
VOL. IL ^ o

210 ERCOLE GONZAGA

agreed upon by the Sacred College before the open-
ing of the Conclave there was an express stipulation
that no Cardinal was to be elected who was under
thirty. For the present, therefore, Isabella devoted
her attention to her son's studies, and begged Castig-
Uone to find him a tutor in Rome. The Count
promised to do his best. " As regards the choice
of a tutor for Signor Ercole," he wrote, " I will do
as you wish, and hope the tutor will not be so
distinguished that the pupil will not be able to
prove himself worthy of him I " But his attempts
proved unsuccessful, and he had to leave the task to
other friends.

" I hope next to hear that Signor Ercole has
been well provided with a tutor," he wrote in May
1522, when Federico's triumphs were the subject
of general congratulation. " I know how near to
Your Excellency's heart this wish Hes, and I con-
fidently expect this will add to the praise of his
illustrious brother, from whom I hope still greater
things. May God prosper these princes as they
deserve ! " ^

The Marchesa next applied to her old friend
Trissino on the subject. The Vicentine humanist
had risen high in the favour of both Pope and
Emperor of late years, and had been employed by
Leo X. on several deUcate missions. But he re-
tained his old devotion for Isabella, and in December
1521, sent her a canzone which he had composed, in
Petrarch's style, in her honour, saying that as it was
the custom of the Greeks to offer the first-fruits of
their genius to the gods, so he inscribed this canzone^
which was the first-fruits of his Muse, to her as

^ Serassi, Leitere di Negozi.

TRISSINO'S CANZONE 211

the goddess of the age. In these verses the poet
celebrated the charms of the Marchesa, and sang
of her golden hair, her dark eyebrows and bright
eyes, the liUes and roses of her complexion, and the
exquisite sweetness of her voice, with a flattery
which Isabella herself recognised to be excessive.
"Dearest friend," she wrote in answer, "we have
read the learned and elegant canzone in which it
pleases you to honour us by praising us much
more than is convenient, but since this is a licence
allowed to poets — among whom you are foremost
in the present age — who are permitted to soar be-
yond the limits of their subject, we do not reject
your compliments, but thank you exceedingly for
the canzone, and for repeating your old promise to
send us some more of your poetical compositions.
And we wish your Muse all the ease, peace and
tranquillity that are needful for her future welfare."

In the following July, when Ercole's future
was still undecided, the Marchesa begged Trissino
to come to Mantua, not only that she might enjoy
the pleasure of his conversation, but that he might
give her the benefit of his advice. " One of our
sons, Ercole," she continues, "shows great intel-
ligence and takes much pleasure in study, and
what pleases us especially, and we take to be a
good sign, is that he delights in the conversation
of scholars. We should hke you to talk to him
of books, and give us a faithful report of the
judgment which you form of his abilities, and tell
us if it seems to you he is in the right way to attain
to some degree of perfection in letters, which ought
not to be difficult for one of his studious and docile
nature. In this we should like to have your advice,

212 ERCOLE AT BOT.OGNA

which will, we know, be as wise as it is kind. But,
as we said before, we do not wish to cause you
any inconvenience, and although we ask you to visit
us now, we hope you will choose your own time,
as the matter is not so urgent that it will not brook
a few weeks' delay. But we should be glad if you
could send us word when you hope to be able to
come, so that we may know when to expect you." ^

Trissino came to Mantua in October, and during
his visit the Marchesa decided to carry out her
original intention, and send her son to complete
his studies at Bologna. The chief reason which
prompted this determination was the presence of
the famous scholar, Pietro Pomponazzi, commonly
known among his pupils as Maestro Peretto, at
this university. A native of Mantua, Pomponazzi
had grown up under the shadow of the Gonzaga
princes, and owed much of his success to their pro-
tection. In 1488, the Marquis Francesco had re-
commended him to the Signory of Venice for the
chair of philosophy at Padua, and when that uni-
versity was closed during the wars of the League
of Cambray, he obtained a similar post at Ferrara
through the Marchesa's influence. Since 1512, he
had filled the chair of philosophy at Bologna, where
his lectures attained a world-wide reputation. Here
four years later he wrote his famous " Treatise on
the Immortality of the Soul," in which he boldly
declared that the truth of this doctrine was incapable
of logical proof, and had never been maintained by
Aristotle. This startling assertion aroused much
debate in ecclesiastical circles, and Pomponazzi's
treatise was pubUcly burnt by the Franciscans

* B. Morsolin, op. cit.

POMPONAZZI 213

in Venice. But the great teacher had powerful
friends at the Vatican in the persons of Cardinal
Bibbiena and Bembo, and after the publication of
an Apologia^ in which he explained his meaning
and submitted himself to the Church, the clamour
gradually died away. This Apologia^ which ap-
peared in 1518, was dedicated to Cardinal Gonzaga,
and Isabella now gave a fresh proof of her con-
fidence in the master by committing her son to
his charge. On the 8th of December 1522, she
wrote to Pomponazzi as follows : " Dear and
honoured Master, — Our beloved son, the Reverend
and Illustrious Signor Ercole, is coming to study
at Bologna, and although we know that you will
not fail to give him faithful counsel and guidance,
so that he may attain to that perfection which he
seeks, and which we supremely desire for him, yet
as a good mother we cannot fail to commend him
to you ourselves, and assure you that the good
offices which you show him shall be most gratefully
acknowledged by us." ^

Three days afterwards, Ercole arrived at Bologna,
and wrote to his mother the next day, with all a
boy's delight, to tell her of the kindly reception he
had met with, and how much pleased he was with
the excellent rooms which her loving care had
provided.

" Most excellent and illustrious Lady and dearest
Mother, — On my arrival yesterday, a great cavalcade
rode out to meet me about eight miles from Bologna.
First came my cousin, Pirro Gonzaga [the son of
Lodovico of Gazzuolo and Francesca de' Fieschi], with
sixty other scholars, mostly of Mantuan birth, on horse-

1 Luzio in Giorn. Stor., viii. 374, &c.

214 ERCOLE'S ROOMS

back. These dismounted, and Pirro and I embraced
each other tenderly. A little further we met a troop of
Bolognese gentlemen, who all rejoiced at my coming ;
and yet further on came my dear Maestro Pietro
himself, with a number of learned doctors, who had
ridden some way out of the town to meet me. So I
entered Bologna about four o'clock with a train of
200 horsemen, and the streets and gateways were
crowded with men, and women stood at all the
windows crying out ' Gonzaga I ' When I reached
my house I saw that its owner, Aliprando, had
decorated the doorway with festoons of evergreens
and shields bearing the arms of our house, of the
Pope, and of the governor and people of Bologna.
After taking leave of these gentlemen, I got off my
horse and visited my rooms, which pleased me
immensely. First of all you enter a beautiful little
salottOf hung with the tapestries which I had sent on,
as well as several pictures in frames, which look very
well, and containing a bed hung with crimson damask
embroidered with various devices. From this room
you enter a smaller one, also hung with tapestry, and
containing two couches, one draped with cloth of
gold, the other covered with linen. Within, there
is a third room, with a couch hung with crimson
velvet and cloth of gold, which I will use as a study.
Certainly these lodgings are most excellent, and all
my servants are quite satisfied, and indeed the house
is as good and comfortable as possible. Last night
my cousin Pirro and some of our Mantuan scholars
supped with me. I kiss your hands reverently. —
Your son, Ercole." ^

The next day Ercole arranged his books, called

1 Luzio, op. cit.

HIS TUTORS 215

on M. Pietro, and was introduced to the beadle and
lecturers of the university. The following morning
he went on foot to pay his respects to the governor,
who took him to mass at S. Salvadore, and on his
return found a deputation from the citizens awaiting
him with a splendid gift of confetti, wax candles,
game, corn, and salt meat, as well as a calf and some
pheasants and partridges, which M. Pietro himself
had sent the young prince. " I cannot tell Your
Excellency," wrote Vincenzo de' Preti, the Mantuan
tutor, who had accompanied Ercole to Bologna, " what
numbers of trumpeters and pifferari surround the
house, or how many visits my lord has received
to-day from the Rector of the College and other
gentlemen and scholars. Not only the halls, but
the loggia and courtyard were crowded with visitors
all day. It was only towards evening that Ercole
was able to escape from his callers and ride out to
visit the Church of S. Michele in Bosco on the hill-
side, and which seemed to him a most pleasant and
dehghtful place." Meanwhile, Archdeacon Gabbio-
neta had, by Isabella's desire, consulted Pomponazzi
as to the choice of a tutor for her son, and Vincenzo
informed her that he strongly recommended M.
Lazzaro Buonamici of Bassano, an able and learned
teacher who was acquainted with Castlglione and
Mario Equicola. But the honest servant was con-
siderably perturbed to find that this tutor's fee would
be 170 ducats — that is to say, 20 ducats more than
the Marchesa wished to give. Isabella, however,
knew better than to haggle over prices in this case,
and wrote back promptly, saying: "As to your
arrangement with Messer Lazzaro, it seems to me
that so excellent a man, and one who will help our

216 A GREAT TEACHER

son as much as you say, is not to be lost for the sake
of so paltry a sum as 20 or 30 ducats, and I hope
you will do your best to secure his services." So
Messer Lazzaro was duly engaged, and replied in
an eloquent Latin epistle to the Marchesa's urgent
request that he would lead her son to the glorious
goal which he had set before him.

Then work began in good earnest. M. Lazzaro
read Cicero and Aristotle every afternoon with Er-
cole in his own house, and in the evenings he
attended M. Pietro's lectures. On the first occasion
on which the prince appeared at a public lecture,
Pomponazzi made a little speech, exhorting him
to persevere in the right way, and speaking of
his mother as Sanctissima Mater tua, Isabella, in
terms which moved many of his hearers to tears !
The good Mantuan tutor, De' Preti, was greatly
edified at the sight of his charge's new fervour.
" Madama mia" he wrote, " Signor Ercole shows a
far greater zeal for learning and devotion to study
than he ever showed at Mantua. He does not
merely listen to M. Peretto, he adores him ; so, if
God gives him grace to go on as he has begun, it is
certain that he will become a famous man of letters.
On my part I did my duty, as a faithful servant, by
telling him that he must persevere in his studies here
at Bologna, as those do who enter the religious life,
and thus gain immortal fame both in this world and
in the next. Upon which he replied that I might be
quite sure he would not return to Your Excellency
an ignorant man. . . . And every one here says that
they have never seen a more zealous scholar. God
keep him ever in the same excellent disposition I " '

• ^ Luzio, op, cit.

ERCOLE'S STUDIES 217

A week later De' Preti reports : " To-day M. Lazzaro
began to read Tully with Signor Ercole, and has fixed
one o'clock as the most convenient hour for his
lesson, which also suits my lord, who intends to
devote the mornings to philosophy. Every day
Messer Pietro comes about four to fetch my lord,
and takes him to the Studio, where he resides, and
his lecture to-day was on the ' Meteora ' of Aristotle,
and a very delightful one it was. Signor Ercole
shows the greatest courtesy both to M. Pietro and
M. Lazzaro, and Your Excellency cannot think how
good and charming he is to every one."

From the first the great teacher seems to have
fascinated Ercole with the glamour of his person-
ality. A man of short stature and square build,
with an enormous head and closely-shaven ftice,
M. Peretto's appearance often excited ridicule, and
Bandello tells us how, when he came to deliver
an oration at Modena, certain ladies of fashion,
meeting this ugly Httle man with a bald head and
shabby clothes, took him for a German Jew, and
called him Maestro Abram.^ But when he began
to lecture, his whole being underwent a strange trans-
formation. His eyes glowed with fire, his countenance
shone with enthusiasm, and his eloquent and im-
passioned words stirred the hearts of his audience
with irresistible might. He had the power of impart-
ing interest to the dullest subject, and his Uvely and
caustic wit, as well as his frequent allusions to con-
temporary events and personages, added greatly to
his popularity as a lecturer. Isabella herself felt
doubly rewarded for the pains which she had taken
with her son's education when M. Peretto himself

^ Novelle, pt. iii. 38.

218 HIS AMUSEMENTS

wrote to tell her how industriously Ercole applied
himself to his studies, and how much heloved he was
both by his teachers and comrades, " which things,"
as she said in her reply, " are the pleasures and fruits
which every loving mother desires and all good
children yield." And she begged M. Pietro to
keep watch over the boy, so that she might feel
as satisfied as if she herself were at his side. Both
Ercole's teachers were able to give his mother
excellent reports of his progress during the next
term. Pomponazzi wrote to her after Christmas:
"M. Lazzaro reads every day with Signor Ercole,
and I have asked his opinion of this Signor several
times. He commends him highly, and thinks that
he will do very well in Greek and Latin. He finds
him eager to learn, and tells me that he has an
excellent nature, and is full of kindness and goodness,
and certainly he appears so to me and to all who
know him in this town." Later on, Vincenzo wrote :
" Work goes on gaily both morning and night. M.
Lazzaro has great hopes of my lord, and M. Pietro
approves of his beginnings, and is quite satisfied with
what he hears from Gianfrancesco Fomo, who is
weU versed in humanism." Forno was a young
Modenese of noble birth, a favourite pupil of M.
Peretto, who was appointed to read with Ercole and
who afterwards accompanied him to Mantua in the
vacation.

Even at Bologna, however, students had their
amusements, and Vincenzo's daily reports show that
the young lord's time was not wholly consumed in
arduous studies. One morning he rides out early to
see the charming house of the Benedictines at the
Madonna del Monte ; another evening he sups with

CHRISTMAS AND CARNIVAL 219

a gay party of fellow-students, whose riotous mirth
sometimes leads to serious consequences. On one
occasion a Mantuan friend of Ercole, who shared his
studies and board, quarrelled with a ISIodenese youth
and wounded him mortally, upon which the prince
sent him away. At Christmas the. feste were cele-
brated with all manner of entertainments, laurel
wreaths were hung on Ercole's door, and at the end
of lectures the college beadle recited comic verses in
his honour amid great merriment. When the week's
vacation was over, Ercole and his cousin Pirro attended
an anatomical course, and, together with many painters
and sculptors, were present at the dissection of the
corpse of a thief who had been hung.

Like other young men at college, Ercole often
found himself short of funds, and, although he was
never as extravagant in his expenditure as his brothers,
his tutor more than once had recourse to his mother,
begging her to send him money by the next courier,
since he was reduced to his last penny 1

An attack of ague interrupted his studies that
winter, and, by his doctor's advice, he only worked in
the morning for some time. After carnival he resolved
to make up for lost time. He attended lectures on
logic, read Cicero's Letters, and composed Latin
epistles for M. Lazzaro, often working late into the
night. So diligent was the young prince that his
master allowed him to pay a flying visit to Mantua
at Easter, after which he remained at Bologna until
the August vacation, which lasted three months.
Isabella had every reason to be satisfied with her
son's progress, and, at Pomponazzi's recommendation,
Ercole was granted a dispensation from the daily
recital of the breviary, in order to have more time

220 DEATH OF POMPONAZZI

for his classical studies. He also began to read
Arabic with Fomo, and engaged an Arab servant to
help him acquire the language.^ His teachers all
found him a docile and inteUigent scholar, and
Lazzaro, who afterwards became professor of Greek
at Padua, remained all his life on friendly terms with
his old pupil. But Pomponazzi inspired him with
a still deeper feeling, and the death of the great
teacher, on the 18th of JSIay 1525, was a heavy blow
to him.

The philosopher had long suffered from internal
complications, which caused him acute pain at times,
and in the end reduced him to a state of complete
nervous prostration. In his suffering, he refused to
take food, saying it was better to die once for all
than to endure such continual agony. His pupil,
Antonio Broccardo, the poet whose mournful and
romantic features live for us in Giorgione's portrait,
wrote a private letter to his father, giving a memor-
able account of the great sceptic's last moments. " On
the seventh night of his fatal illness, when his end
was hourly expected, he was heard to say, ' 1 depart
with joy.' ' Where are you going ? ' asked a friend
who stood at his bedside, eager to learn the master's
secret. ' Where all mortals go,' was Pomponazzi's
reply. ' Whither do they go ? ' urged the former
speaker. ' Where others are gone before,' repHed
the dying man. A last attempt was made to induce
him to take nourishment, but he refused, saying,
' Leave me alone. I wish to die.' And so," writes
his sorrowful pupil, " his spirit fled with a sigh to the
shades." ^

1 Luzio, op. dt.

2 V. Cian, Nuovi documenti su Pomponazzi, p. 29.

HIS BURIAL AT MANTUA 221

Ercole was bitterly grieved, and sent the sad news
to his brother the Marquis in the following short note :
" I have nothing to tell you, but that last night about
three o'clock our beloved M. Pietro Pomponazzi died.
May God grant him peace I " ^ On the 24th of May,
Federico replied : " We received the news which you
gave us of the excellent Messer Pietro Pomponazzi's
death with no httle sorrow, both because of the love
which we bore him on account of his rare talents,
and out of regard for Your Highness, knowing how
much you loved him, and how useful he was to you
in those studies which are your constant delight.
We feel sure that you grieve for him from the depths
of your heart." ^

After INIesser Peretto's death, the young prince
felt that he could no longer remain at Bologna, and
wrote to his mother, who was then in Rome, saying
that he was returning to Mantua now that M. Pietro
was no more, and begged her to allow him to spend
the summer at her villa of Porto, since the heat would
be so great in the town.

Pomponazzi's remains were brought to his native
city and buried in the church of San Francesco,
where Ercole raised a noble bronze monument above
his remains. To the end of his life Isabella's son
retained the deepest affection for his master's memory ;
he sealed his letters with an effigy of Pomponazzi, and
had a portrait of him which he describes as a " most
speaking likeness." When, in 1545, Paolo Giovio
begged for a copy of this portrait to add to his
collection, the Cardinal replied that he could not
spare the original, since this would leave him without

1 Davari, Lettere inedite di Pomponazzi.
* Fontana, SuW Immortalitd, &c., p. 93.

222 ERCOLE'S REGARD FOR HIM

the image of the great man who had been his master,
and regretted to say that Maestro GiuHo (Giuho Ro-
mano) was too much occupied with buildings and plans
to do the work, but promised that one of his scholars
should copy the portrait as soon as he returned from
Rome.^ It is worthy of note that Ercole Gonzaga,
who still remembered the great sceptic with so much
veneration, was before long to become the president
of the General Council which met at Trent in that
same year.

^ Luzio in Giorn. Stor., 1900, p. 45.

CHAPTER XXXIV

1523—1525

Castiglione in Rome — Pope Adrian's reforms — Chiericati at the
Diet of Nurnberg — His letters to Isabella — Journey of
Magellan — Visit of Isabella to Venice — Navagero and Titian
— Doge Andrea Gritti enters into an alliance with Charles V.
— The Pope joins the League — Death of Adrian VI. — Elec-
tion of Clement VII. — Castiglione sent to Rome — Wars
of Lombardy — The Connetable de Bourbon at Mantua —
Isabella in Venice — Ferrante Gonzaga goes to Spain — Cas-
tiglione sent by the Pope to Madrid — Giulio Romano at
Mantua — Isabella Boschetti.

Castiglione's embassy to the Vatican was pro-
longed until November 1522. Owing to his exer-
tions, Federico Gonzaga was confirmed in his post of
Captain-General, and in this capacity held the baldac-
chino over the new Pope when His Holiness entered
Rome in state on the 30th of August 1522. But
although Adrian VI. showed himself friendly to the
Gonzagas and their kinsfolk of Urbino and Ferrara,
and was sincerely desirous of peace, his foreign
habits and the changes which he introduced soon
rendered him unpopular, ahke to the officials of
Leo the Tenth's court and to the people of Rome.
He turned out the Cardinals who lodged in the
Vatican, ordered them to shave their beards and lay
aside their secular habits, engaged an old Flemish
cook, and gave his steward a single ducat a day for
the expenses of his household. The carnival was

223

224 CHIERICATI AT NURNBERG

shorn of its splendour ; even Pasquino was silenced, and
would have been thrown into the Tiber if the Pope
could have had his way. Castiglione sighed over
these changes, and was heartily sick of his mission.
To add to his discontent, the plague raged in Rome
all tlirough the autumn, and he longed to escape
from the stricken city, where he was in daily risk
of losing his life. He succeeded, however, in main-
taining his influence with Adrian VI., and had a
powerful helper at the Vatican in Isabella's old
friend, Bishop Chiericati.

This excellent prelate stood high in the Pope's
favour, and was sent as papal nuncio to the Diet
of Niirnberg, in the hope that he would be able to
effect a reconciliation with the German Lutherans.
Erasmus rejoiced to hear of the noble mission on
which his friend was bound, and Chiericati himself
had great hopes of success when he passed through
Mantua in November 1522. But the letters which
he addressed to Isabella from Niirnberg show that
the task was beyond his powers, and that neither
the Pope nor any of his advisers as yet realised
the proportions which the Lutheran movement had
assumed.

" I assure Your Excellency," he writes in January,
"that Luther's doctrine has already so many roots
in the earth that a thousand persons could not
pull it up ; certainly I alone cannot. But I will
do what little I can, although threats and perse-
cution are not wanting. Every day I receive vil-
lainous insults, but I try and take all these things
patiently for the love of God, knowing that they will
be counted to me as martyrdom. . . . Now they have
begun to preach that the Sacrament of the Altar is

MAGELLAN'S JOURNEY 225

not a true Sacrament, and is not to be worshipped, but
only celebrated in memory of Christ. And they say
that the Blessed Virgin has no merit as the Mother
of Christ, and that she bore other sons to Joseph.
And every day things go from bad to worse. I pray
God to put forth His hand." Again, he tells Isabella
how much he is distressed at the secular spirit of
the clergy, and how German cardinals and arch-
bishops are to be seen dancing and leaping in their
ecclesiastical habits. And then, knowing that theo-
logical controversies have never deeply interested the
Marchesa, he passes on to pleasanter subjects, and
tells her some of the wonderful tales which his
Vicentine servant, Antonio Pigafetti, who had left
him three years before, to sail round the world with
Magellan, has brought back from these unknown
lands.

" I send Your Excellency an account of the
Spanish expedition and a plan of the great city of
Temistan, in the newly discovered islands of the
Oceanic Sea, which will, I think, be of interest to
you. And I hope that in a few days Your Excel-
lency may have the great pleasure of hearing my ser-
vant, who has just returned from this journey round
the world, tell you himself all the great and marvellous
things which he has seen and described in writing.
For certainly this journey is a greater one than any
man has ever taken before, since he and his comrades
went round the whole of the globe. First of aU,
they sailed southwards to those islands in the Oceanic
Sea which are called Terra Ferma, and round the
point, over the Sea of Sur towards the west. Then
turning to the north and east, they found themselves
in the great Gulf, near the Spice Islands, and sailed

VOL. II. p

22r> PIGAFETTI'S JOURNAL

by the golden Chersonese and the Gangelian Gulf,
through the Persian and Arabian Seas, by the Cape
of Good Hope, into the Ethiopian Sea and across the
Atlantic, until they reached the Canary Islands, and
returned to their own land by the opposite way,
having gained not only great riches, but what is
worth more — immortality. For surely this has thrown
all the deeds of the Argonauts into the shade. Here
we have a long account of the expedition, which His
Cassarean Majesty has sent to the Archduke Ferdi-
nand, who has kindly shown it to me, and has also
given me some of the spices which they brought from
these parts, with boughs and leaves of the tree from
which they are made. Caesar has also sent His Serene
Highness a painted map of the journey, and a bird
which is very beautiful, which the kings of those
countries bear with them when they go to battle,
and say they cannot die as long as it is at their side.
It seems to be a very rare bird, and here they call it
a phoenix ; et de his satis." ^

A few weeks later, Chiericati sent the Marchesa
Pigafetti's Itinerary, and on the 3rd of February
1523, Isabella wrote to thank him for the book and
to express the incredible satisfaction which it had
afforded her. " If your servant," she continues,
" who has returned so full of knowledge from these
parts, and whom indeed we envy greatly, should
happen to come this way, we shall be delighted
to see him, for, as you will understand, it is a
far greater pleasure to hear of these new and mar-
vellous lands from a living person, than merely
to read about them. So if you can send him to
Mantua, we shall be deeply indebted to you." At

^ B. Morsolin, op. cit.

HE VISITS MANTUA 227

the same time she congratulated him on his success
in persuading the German princes to take arms
against the Turk, and condoled with him over the
difficulties which he encountered at Niirnberg. " May
our Lord God give you the power necessary to ex-
tinguish that shameful and diabolical Lutheran sect.
You must not allow yourself to be disheartened by
the insults and opposition that you receive, remem-
bering that it is the same in all important under-
takings, and the greater your difficulties are, the
greater will be your glory."

The nuncio kept his promise, and Antonio Piga-
fetti came to Mantua soon afterwards, bringing with
him the journal which he had kept daily on his voyage,
and which Chiericati described as a " divine thing."
The traveller met with the most enthusiastic re-
ception, and the Marchesa was able to listen to his
wonderful stories, and satisfy her curiosity as to the
countries and natives of this strange new world which
had been discovered in her own lifetime. In the last
days of this same month of January 1523, the painter
Titian came to Mantua at the urgent request of
Federico, who had probably met him in Venice, and
was familiar with his works at Ferrara. The young
Marquis was especially anxious that the Venetian
master should paint a portrait for him, probably that
of his mistress, Isabella Boschetti, since the name of
the sitter is never given in the letters which he wrote
on the subject. But Titian was on his way to Ferrara
to superintend the hanging of his great Bacchanals in
Duke Alfonso's Camerino, and had already sent the
last of the series, the Bacchus and Ariadne of the
National Gallery, by boat to that city. So he only
spent a few days at Mantua, and the portrait, which

228 TITIAN AT MANTUA

he probably sketched during this brief visit, was
finished at Venice in the following August. The
work was pronounced to be very fine, and greatly
pleased the Marquis, who sent Titian a splendid
doublet, in token of his satisfaction, before the picture
ever reached him/ The painter's great Entombment
of the Louvre was also executed and sent to Mantua
towards the end of the year, and was sold to our
Charles I. with the gems of the Mantuan collection
in the following century, but it is uncertain whether
this noble work was painted for Federico or his
mother. In any case, Isabella, who had been absent
when Titian paid his first visit to Mantua and admired
her art-treasures, four years before, now made the
acquaintance of the master, with whom she and her
son were afterwards so intimately associated.

A few months later, she saw him again in Venice,
when, after visiting Padua, in fulfilment of a vow
which she had made to the Santo, she spent Ascension-
tide in that city. " To-day," wrote Marino Sanuto
on the 20th of May, " the Signory heard from the
Mantuan ambassador that the old Marchesana was
in this city, lodging in Ca' Barbaro in S. Stefano, and
a present of ducats was sent her by order of the
Signory." ^ On this occasion Isabella was accompanied
by her brother, Duke Alfonso, now set free from the
perpetual fear of papal intrigues and treacheries, and
by Castiglione, who had at length returned from
Rome and was able to enjoy a well-earned holiday.
This joyous little party started for Venice on the
16th of May, travelling incognito, and, as usual on
these occasions, Isabella went everywhere and saw

^ Crowe e Cavalcaselle, Titian, vol. i. App.
2 M. Sanuto, Diarii, xxxiv. 156.

ISABELLA VISITS VENICE 229

everything. Her companions confessed themselves
tired out by her marvellous energy, and the Count
describes himself in a letter to Federico as very busy,
occupatissimo, in escorting Madama on her walks
and gondola trips through the city.^

Twenty-one years had passed smce Isabella paid
her memorable visit to Venice with her sister-in-
law. Duchess Elisabetta, and there were many new
and beautiful things for her to see in the churches
and palaces of the lagoons — the glorious frescoes
which adorned the Great Council Hall, the last and
noblest altar-pieces of Giovanni BeUini, that master
whose endless delays had caused her so much annoy-
ance, the paintings of Carpaccio in the httle shrine
of the Slavonian sailors, and the famous pictures
by Giorgione, which she had vainly sought to obtain
for her Grotta. Now the great patriarch of Venetian
painting and the brilliant master of Castelfranco
were both in their graves, and a new generation
of masters had sprung up, with Titian at their
head. The Marchesa, no doubt, visited the church
of S. Maria Gloriosa and saw the Assumption which
he had lately painted for the Franciscan friars,
and examined his latest frescoes in the ducal palace.
And she was especially struck by a St. Jerome
which she saw in his shop, and wrote to the
Mantuan envoy, Malatesta, after her return in
June, desiring him to offer the painter 100 ducats
for the picture. The librarian of S. Marco, Andrea
Navagero, the friend of Raphael and CastigHone, who
often visited the Marchesa at Mantua and made him-
self very useful to her in Venice, had, it appears,
praised the picture greatly, and his advice encouraged

^ Esenzioni di famiglia di CastigHone, p. 30.

230 TITIAN'S ST. JEROME

her to make the purchase, " knowing," she writes to
Malatesta, " that I cannot be wrong in acting on the
advice of one who is so excellent a judge in these
things." And she begs her agent to thank Messer
Andrea for his kind interest in the matter, and for all
the trouble which he has taken to secure the picture.
Unluckily Isabella, finding herself as usual short of
money, afterwards changed her mind, much to the
distress of Malatesta, who privately told Ippolito
Calandra that, if Her Excellency did not buy the
picture, it would hardly be to her honour, especially
now that he had spoken to Navagero and Titian on
the subject.^ The Marchesa, however, would not
have the St. Jerome, but either this picture or
another version of the subject was bought by her
son Federico in the year of his marriage, and hung
in the room of his wife. Duchess Margherita.'^

While Isabella and her brother visited churches
and studios, or studied rare books and manuscripts,
with Castiglione and Navagero for their guides, politi-
cal affairs were not neglected. Andrea Gritti had just
succeeded the aged Antonio Grimani on the ducal
throne, and both the Duke and the Marchesa were
present at his proclamation and enthronement, after
which Alfonso shook hands with the newly elected
Doge, and wished him joy, in the most friendly
manner. The next morning they attended the
solemn mass in S. Marco when the banner of the
Republic was formally delivered into his hands, and
saw him crowned with the ducal cap at the top of
the Giants' Staircase.^

^ Luzio in Giom. Slor., 1900, p. 48.

2 D'Arco, Arte e Arlefici, ii. ]6l.

" M. Sanuto, Diarii, xxxiv. 157, 158.

LEAGUE AGAINST FRANCE 231

On his accession, the new Doge was called upon
to make a momentous decision in accepting the
proposals of Charles V. and Francesco Sforza to
join in a league for the defence of the Milanese
against the Signory's old ally, France. Castig-
lione accordingly lost no time in waiting upon
His Serene Highness, with whom he had a long
interview on the 30th of May, and who professed the
warmest sentiments of friendship for the INIarquis
Federico. Nor did the Count forget to put in a
word in favour of his old master, the Duke of
Urbino, whom he was always glad to serve. The
result proved highly satisfactory, and when, on the
28th of June, the new treaty of the Republic with
the Emperor was proclaimed, Francesco Maria was
appointed general of the Venetian army. The
Gonzagas had now entered into a close alliance
with the Emperor, Charles V., and in July 1523, a
few weeks after his return from Venice, CastigUone
wrote to his friend, Andrea Piperario, in Rome,
begging him to assure the Spanish ambassador that
neither the bad conduct of the Pope nor that of the
Duke of Milan could prevent the Marquis from being
wholly devoted to the Emperor (Imperialissimo) both
in body and soul. " Madama, his mother," the Count
goes on, *' is entirely of the same opinion, and if there
were any need for me to keep them in this frame
of mind, I would not only gladly give my time and
labour, but life itself." ^ On the 3rd of August, Pope
Adrian and the RepubHc of Florence both joined the
league for the defence of Italy against the French,
and the JMarquis of Mantua, who was already Captain
of the Church, received the command of the troops

^ Serassi, Lettere di Neg., ii. 55.

282 ELECTION OF CLEMENT VIL

which 1^'lorence sent to join the papal forces. In
spite of this formidable league, Francis I. was bent
on recovering Milan, and early in September a strong
force under Bonnivet crossed the Alps, and, after
taking Novara and Vigevano, laid siege to Milan.

On the 14th of September 1523, the very day
when the French crossed the Ticino, the Pope died,
heart-broken at the failure of his efforts to reform the
Church, and to unite the powers of Christendom in
a crusade against the Turks. " Here lies Adrian VI.,
who thought nothing more unfortunate in his life
than that he became Pope," was, Paolo Giovio tells
us, the inscription which he wished to have placed on
his grave. The Conclave met on the 1st of October,
and after a prolonged sitting of fifty days. Cardinal dei
Medici was elected Pope, with the title of Clement
VII. The Imperialists were exultant. Bembo pro-
phesied that the new Pope would prove the best and
wisest ruler which the Church had ever known, and
all Rome rejoiced at the choice of a Medici, who
would hold a splendid court and bring back the
golden days of Leo X. The Gonzagas were over-
joyed to see a friend of their house once more in the
Chair of St. Peter, and Castiglione, who was on in-
timate terms with the new Pontiff, was immediately
sent to congratulate him on his election.

That summer Isabella and her family were once
more thrown into mourning by the death of her
brother-in-law Giovanni Gonzaga and his wife Laura
Bentivoglio, who both died in the same week, the one
in the last days of August, the other on the 4th of Sep-
tember. Giovanni had always shown himself the most
loyal of subjects to his brother and nephew, and his
house in the BorgoPradella had been the scene of many

THE CONNETABLE DE BOURBON 233

pleasant family gatherings. The loss of this honest
and genial prince was deeply regretted by Isabella,
and even more by Duchess Elisabetta, who was ten-
derly attached to her youngest brother, and had little
in common with his sons. The eldest, Alessandro,
was chiefly notorious for his quarrelsome temper and
inveterate love of gambling, and wasted both his time
and patrimony at cards. Three months later, Isabella
received a visit from another of her husband's nephews,
who was a very different character, and whose mis-
fortunes aroused her deepest sympathy. This was
the famous Connetable de Bourbon, the only surviving
son of Chiara Gonzaga and Gilbert de Montpensier.
The young French nobleman had succeeded to the
vast estates of the Bourbon family through his mar-
riage with Susanne, only child of Charles the Eighth's
sister Anne, but after his wife's death the Queen-
mother, Louise de Savoie, laid claim to these lands,
and by her intrigues drove Charles de Bourbon from
the French court. The Emperor received him with
open arms, and offered him the command of the
German forces in Lombardy, where he found himself
fighting against his liege lord in the very city over
which he had once reigned as Viceroy. On her visit
to Louis the Twelfth's court at Milan, many years
before, Isabella had been greatly attracted by the
young prince, who bore a marked likeness to his
mother, and now she told his aunt Elisabetta that
she could not express how charming and handsome
he was, and how nobly and cheerfully he bore his
misfortunes. Monsignore de Bourbon, as his Italian
relatives called him, accompanied Federico to the
camp of the League, and exerted himself actively
in opposing the French attack on Milan. By the

284 ISABELLA AND THE DOGE

end of the year, Bonnivet was forced to raise the
siege, and I^annoy, the new Viceroy of Naples, who
took the command of the combined forces in March,
soon compelled him to retire beyond the Alps. The
papal forces were disbanded, and Federico Gonzaga
returned to Mantua early in May.

Once more Italy enjoyed a brief interval of
repose, and Isabella availed herself of the oppor-
tunity to repeat her visit to Venice. On the 8th
of May, Marino Sanuto mentions the arrival of
the "Marchesa di Mantova, mother of the Lord
Marquis, and sister of the Duke of Ferrara, com-
monly called Madama, who is lodging in Casa Bar-
baro, near S. Vitale, with the Mantuan ambassador,
and has brought with her, for the use of her house-
hold, four amphoroe and three barrels of wine, twenty
sacks of flour, four cheeses, besides meat and vege-
tables, all of which were declared free of duty by the
Signoria." ^ Isabella paid a visit to the Doge Andrea
Gritti, who gave her a splendid reception, and en-
tertained her in his private rooms, where she spent
some time, talking freely of many things, and especi-
ally of the latest news from Turkey. Every courtesy
was shown to the Marchesa on this occasion, and
when the Mantuan envoy came to thank the Signoria
for their courtesy, and express how greatly she had
enjoyed her visit, the Doge replied in the most cordial
terms, and spoke of the Marquis as a beloved son
and faithful ally.

Isabella remained in Venice for the Ascension
fetes, and attended high mass on the Feast of Corpus
Christi in S. Marco, when the Patriarch sang the
office, the Doge in his crimson robes, and all the

1 M. Sanuto, Diarii, xxxvi. 366.

ANDREA GRITTT 235

members of the Scuola di San Rocco were present.
After this solemn function, the Marehesa walked
through the Merceria and the most crowded streets
in the city to the Rialto, " and enjoyed herself exceed-
ingly," writes Sanuto, "making an attendant walk
on each side of her, supporting her arms, for the sake
of her dignity."^ The advance of years could not
diminish her energy and love of sight-seeing, and at
fifty she was as full of life and as interested in every-
thing about her as she had ever been. But although
the Doge was eager in his professions of regard for the
Marehesa and her son, he was already wavering in
his allegiance to the Emperor, and before the end of
the year both Venice and the Pope entered into a
secret agreement with France.

From the moment of his election, Clement VII.
adopted the crooked policy of Leo X., and, with-
out breaking openly with the Emperor, began to
negotiate secretly with Francis I. He assumed a
strictly neutral attitude in the hope of gaining time,
and tried by skilful intrigues to preserve the balance
of power between the two rivals, both of whom he
dreaded equally. But while he directed his gravest
censures against Alfonso d'Este, who had taken ad-
vantage of the late Pope's death to recover Reggio,
he confirmed Federico Gonzaga in his office as
Captain-General, and treated his envoy with marked
favour. All through the summer, CastigHone re-
mained in Rome, keeping a watchful eye over his
master's interests, while the tangled web of intrigue
gathered every day more thickly round the Vatican.
Often, in the midst of his thankless and troublesome
task, he longed for rest and freedom, and wished

1 Diarii, xxxvi. 366.

236 CASTIGI.IONE SENT TO SIXAIN

himself back at Mantua, enjoying the cool breezes
and delicious shades of the Marchesa's beautiful
villa of Porto.

" Signora mia illustrissima,'' he wrote on the 20th of
July 1524, " I accept any penance which Your High-
ness sees fit to lay upon me for my neglect in writing,
with the humility of a good penitent. Here the heat
and the great abundance of excellent melons we have
enjoyed during the last month do not agree with me
at all, and might do me real harm if it were not for
the good medicines recommended by Your Excel-
lency. I hope to come and kiss your gracious hands,
if not during these great heats, at least when they
are a little abated, and we may still be able to dine
in your beautiful loggia, for among all the fair places
in Rome, I know of none which can compare with
that I" ^

Isabella hastened to assure her friend how eagerly
he was expected in her loggia, where his presence
would be all the more welcome after the fine
praises which he had bestowed upon it. But neither
during that summer, nor any other, was the Marchesa
to enjoy the company of her most brilliant courtier
in the lovely gardens of Porto. For on the same
day that the Count was sighing to be once more
at home, Pope Clement addressed a letter to the
Marquis, begging that he might be allowed to send
his good servant, the Magnifico Baldassarre Cas-
tigUone, on an important mission to His C cesarean
Majesty at Madrid.^ Neither Federico nor the Count
could refuse this flattering request, and Isabella was
the more inclined to gratify the Pope's wish, because

1 Luzio e Reniefj Mmdova e Urbino, p. 255.

^ Esenzioni, p. 32; Serassi, Lettere di Negozi, i. 133.

FERRANTE GONZAGA 237

she was about to send her third son, Ferrante, to the
Court of Spain. The marked favour which Charles
V. had lately shown the Marquis had encouraged her
to take this step, and Castiglione gladly promised to
serve the young prince to the best of his powers.
" I long more than ever to enjoy Your Excellency's
loggia," he wrote on the 4th of August, " and grieve
to think how little I am likely to be there now.
When I am in Spain, I shall often wish myself back
at Mantua, but shall console myself by serving Don
Ferrante, until God allows me to return, and find the
rest which is needful at my age and time of life."

Ferrante Gonzaga was barely seventeen, but was
already a tall and active youth, who inherited his
father's powers of horsemanship and skill in courtly
exercises, and his mother's love of art and letters.
" I rejoice," wrote Ercole Gonzaga to his mother
from Bologna, " to hear that my brother Ferrante is
devoting himself to such laudable deeds, as well as to
those studies which by Your Excellency's kind care we
have learned to love from our tenderest years." But
it was in the career of arms, rather than in that of
letters, that Isabella's youngest son was to earn his
laurels, and rise to that high place in the Emperor's
favour which he afterwards attained. Meanwhile his
mother had not abandoned the hope of obtaining a
Cardinal's hat for Ercole, and by her orders Castig-
lione renewed his application on the subject to Pope
Clement. His Hohness seemed incHned, he wrote,
to lend a favourable ear to the proposal, but would
make no promises, and in October, the Count urged
Federico Gonzaga to come to Rome himself, say-
ing that the Pope was anxious to see him, and
his presence would, he felt sure, advance the

238 SIEGE OF PAVIA

matter in hand.^ The Marquis took the hint, and
actually started for Rome in the middle of October.
Wlien, however, he reached Bologna, he heard that
Francis I. had suddenly crossed the Mont Cenis,
and was marching on Milan. In this critical state
of affairs, he felt that it was impossible to continue
his journey, and returned to Mantua to await the
further development of affairs.^ By the time that
he reached home, Francesco Sforza had been com-
pelled to evacuate Milan and retire on Lodi, leaving
a strong garrison in the CasteUo, while Francis I.
laid siege to Pavia, which was stoutly defended by
the Spanish captain, Antonio de Leyva. All through
the winter months the Imperialist generals were
compelled to remain inactive for want of money and
reinforcements, and in Rome, Pasquino, who had
recovered his voice under the new Pope, offered a
reward " for the discovery of the Imperial army, lost
sometime last October in the mountains between
France and Lombardy, and never heard of since." ^
" Here, in Rome, there is no news," wrote the nuncio
Chiericati to Isabella. " All the great and important
tidings come from Lombardy, where Your Excel-
lency now is, so I can only serve you up a salad of
the different fragments which reach us from beyond
the Alps. Here both the Colonna and the Orsini
are raising forces, and we all wonder if the French are
going to invade Naples, but His Hohness observes a
strict neutrality, and only seeks to keep the peace."
In other words, the Pope persevered in his temporis-

1 Serassi, Letterg di Negozi, i.

2 Sanuto, Diarii, xxxvii. ; D'Arco e Braghirolli, Arch. St. It,,
vii. 191.

3 // Pnncipe, by Machiavelli, ed by L. Burd, p. 159.

GIULIO ROMANO 239

ing policy, and refused to declare himself openly on
either side. Since Mantua remained at peace, and
Federico's presence in the field was not required,
Isabella now decided to go to Rome herself, and
ask the Pope for Ercole's Cardinal's hat in person.
She had already started on her journey when
Castiglione came back to Mantua and took leave
of his mother and children before his departure
for Spain. He brought with him, at Federico's
request, the painter Giulio Romano, the pupil
of Raphael, "whom I love," he wrote to the
Pope, "every bit as much, now he is dead, as
when he was alive." And the Count also brought
the Duke a model of a beautiful villa and spacious
gardens, which had been designed by Michel Angelo
Federico admired these plans immensely, and declared
his intention of building a similar palace at Marmirolo,
where he had lately erected a sumptuous theatre and
other splendid buildings.^ This scheme, however,
seems to have been abandoned, and GiuHo Romano,
who now took up his abode at Mantua, began to build
his famous palace of the T^, on the marshy ground
outside the Pusterla Gate, formerly occupied by the
Marquis Francesco's stables.

In those days the handsome young Marquis was
passionately in love with Isabella Boschetti, whose
fair face and form may still be seen in the Psyche,
painted by Messer Giulio's hand, whom we see
reigning supreme amid the goddesses on the ceiling
of the Palazzo del T^. And it was for his mistress
that Federico built the noble Palazzo della Giustizia,
which was also decorated with paintings by the
hand of his favourite master. Isabella bore him

^ Luzio e Renier, Mantova, p. 257.

240 ISABELLA'S TRIALS

three children, and his devotion to her made him
reject all proposals of marriage. After his father's
death he broke off his engagement with Maria di
Montferrato, and obtained a dissolution of the con-
tract from Clement VI I. ^ Some of his relatives
were anxious that he should marry the King of
Poland's daughter, but Federico himself took little
interest in the scheme, which was allowed to drop.
All this was a cause of great distress to his mother,
who longed to see the succession secured in her
family, and suffered many things from the selfishness
and jealousy of Federico's mistress. Paolo Giovio,
who knew her intimately, and frequently visited
Mantua, tells us that the Marchesa was often left
alone, or with only two or three faitliful old servants,
while her son's innaTiwrata rode proudly through the
town, followed by a crowd of courtiers and ladies.
It was then, the historian explains, that the Marchesa
adopted the device of a many-branched candlestick,
such as is used in the services of Holy Week, when
the priests put out one light after the other till
only one is left, as a symbol of the undying flame
of faith. "And this device," the Bishop writes,
" Madama caused to be painted in her rooms of the
Corte Vecchia and in her villa of Porto, and I, who
was always her loyal servant, gave her the motto,
Suffidt unum in tenebris, which recalls Virgil's line,
Unum pro multis"^

Bandello, we have already seen, speaks of the evil
influence which Isabella Boschetti exerted on the
Marquis ; and some of the Marchesa's own servants,
such as Mario Equicola, forgot their duty to their

^ Davari in Arch. St. Lomh., 1887.
' Delle Imprese, p. 59.

CASTIGLIONE IN SPAIN 241

old mistress in their eagerness to ingratiate them-
selves with her son. Mario, however, did not live
much longer to make mischief between Federico
and his mother. He was too ill to accompany
Isabella on her journey to Rome, and died at
Mantua in July, 1525. Castiglione proved her
faithful friend to the last, and did not forget her
in the anxieties and distractions of his Spanish
mission. "God knows," he wrote from Mantua,
"how much it grieves me not to kiss your
Highness' hands before my departure ! " and on
his arrival at Madrid, he hastened to give her news
of Don Ferrante. " Thank God, I am well, and
although everything here seems strange, I am
beginning to get used to Spanish customs, and these
gentlemen seem pleased to see me. A week ago,
my illustrious lord, Don Ferrante, went to S. Jacopo
di Galicia. He is very well indeed, in high favour
with Caesar, and adored by all these Spanish lords.
I hope Your Highness will write and tell me how
you are, and if your secretaries are too busy,
M. Andrea Piperario will gladly write all you are
good enough to tell him for me." ^ Madrid, April 6,
1525.

In July, Messer Baldassarre wrote again from
Toledo, advising the Marchesa, who was by this time
in Rome, to prolong her travels, and visit the shrine
of S. Jacopo before her return. " In old days," he
remarks gaily, "Your Excellency used to say she
had a great wish to visit the shrine of S. Jacopo di
Galicia. It seems to me this would be the very time
to go there, and you would see so many beautiful
places on the way that you would be delighted ! I

1 Luzio in Giom. St., 1900, p. 74; Arch. St. Lomb., 1908, p. 8.

VOL. II. Q

242 S. JACOPO'S SHRINE

seem to hear you laugh, thinking that I am saying
this in jest, to remind you of the accursed love of
travel which that Signor of the house of Este left
to all his race I But I say this because I really think
the journey would please Your Excellency. I know
that La Brogna will not approve, because of her wish
to return to Mantua, and will hold the pardon of
Santa Croce more precious than that of S. Jacopo.
Enough that I have given you my advice. Your
Excellency will do as she chooses."^ But Isabella's
wish was not to be fulfilled, and she never went to
Spain, or saw Castiglione again.

* Luzio e Renier, Mantova, p. 258.

CHAPTER XXXV

1525—1527

Isabella goes to Rome — Visits Urbino and Loreto — Is received
by the Pope — Occupies the Palazzo SS. Apostoli — Death
of Cardinal Gonzaga and of Duchess Elisabetta of Urbino
— The Imperialists advance southwards — Passage of the Po,
and death of Giovanni delle Bande Nere at Mantua — Lannoy
and the Pope sign a truce — Bourbon advances against Rome —
The Marquis of Mantua warns the Pope — Isabella refuses to
leave Rome — Fortifies her house, and gives shelter to ambas-
sadors and Roman ladies — Ercole Gonzaga made a Cardinal.

Early in January, Isabella sent her servants to
Rome, to prepare the Duke of Urbino's palace near
the church of S. Maria in Via Lata, for her recep-
tion. A month later she herself started on the
journey with a small suite, including her new secre-
tary, Giovanni Francesco Tridapale, and her old
favourite, Brogna, who was restored to favour after
the death of the Marquis Francesco, and resumed
her former post of lady-in-waiting. The Marchesa
was also accompanied by two young princesses of
remarkable beauty and charm — Camilla Gonzaga di
Novellara, and Giulia, daughter of Lodovico Gon-
zaga of Gazzuolo, and grand-daughter of Antonia
del Balzo, who enjoyed the reputation of being the
lovehest woman of her time. After spending a few
days at Ferrara, the travellers took boat for Ravenna,
and then rode overland to Pesaro, which was safely

reached on the 17th of February. Here both

us

244 ISABELLA GOES TO ROME

Duchesses were awaiting the Marchesa, and the
whole city welcomed her with the greatest joy.
Guidobaldo rode out with a troop of noble youths to
meet his grandmother three miles from the gates,
and Leonora and the ladies of the court saluted
her at the foot of the palace steps. EHsabetta,
whose health had been failing ever since her return
from exile, was even more overjoyed to see her
beloved sister-in-law ; and, instead of setting out
again on the following morning, Isabella was per-
suaded to spend two nights at Pesaro. A pastoral
play, with musical interludes and dances, was per-
formed in her honour on the last evening, and early
the next day the Marchesa left for Sinigaglia, on
the way to Loreto.

On the journey from Loreto to Rome, she re-
ceived the news of the great battle which had been
fought at Pavia on the Emperor's twenty-fifth birth-
day — the Feast of St. Matthias — and of the complete
defeat and capture of Francis I. Many of Isabella's
friends were present on that hard-fought field. Her
nephew, Charles de Bourbon, and her kinsman, the
gallant Pescara, were the heroes of the hour. La
Trdmouille, La Palisse, Galeazzo di San Severino,
were among the 12,000 corpses left on the battle-
field ; while Federico di Bozzolo and St. Pol and
many others were taken prisoners with the French
king. When the Marchesa reached Rome, on the
1st of March, she found the Imperialists exultant,
and the Pope half-dead with terror. For it was
openly said that Charles V., furious with Clement
the Seventh's temporising game, vowed that he
would come to Italy himself and give His Holiness
a lesson. Under these circumstances, the Pope was

RAPHAEL'S LEO X. 245

especially anxious to retain the friendship of the
Mantuan princes. When he heard from Pietro
Aretino that Federico was exceedingly anxious to
possess Raphael's portrait of Pope Leo X., which
hung in the Palazzo Medici at Florence, he imme-
diately gave orders that this famous work should
be presented to the Marquis, In December 1524,
Francesco Gonzaga, who had succeeded Castiglione
as ambassador at the Vatican, wrote to inform his
lord that a copy of the picture was to be made at
once by some good Florentine master, and that as
soon as this was done, the original would be sent to
Mantua.^ Andrea del Sarto was selected for the
task, and it was his copy, as we learn from Vasari,
that was sent to Federico by Ottaviano del Medici
in the following August. The Pope's kinsman was
naturally reluctant to part with Raphael's own work,
and the copy was so admirable that even Giulio
Romano did not discover the deception until Vasari
himself revealed the secret.^ The same causes
prompted His Hohness to receive the Marchesa with
the highest honour.

It was the year of Jubilee, but very few pilgrims
had ventured to come to Rome in these troubled
times, and Isabella was the only visitor of distinc-
tion who attended the services of Holy Week, and
received plenary indulgence. The Pope supplied her
with wheat, barley, wine, sugar, wax, oil, meat, and
fish for the use of her household, and invited the
INIarchesa to a private audience on the 9th of March.
But when Isabella explained the real object of her

^ A. Baschet, Arch. St. It., serie tersa, iii. 118-120; D'Arco e
Braghirolli, vii. I92, igs.
2 Fite, V. 41.

246 THE MARCHESA LODGED

journey, and asked His Holiness to make her son
Ercole a Cardinal, the Pope replied with evasive
answers and civil words. The Marchesa, however,
resolved to bide her time ; and, with the intention
of spending the summer months in Rome, accepted
the offer of the Colonna Palace, close to the Church
of the SS. Apostoli, from Cardinal Pompeo Colonna.
In this splendid house, surrounded with beautiful gar-
dens, and finely situated on the brow of the Quirinal
hill, Isabella spent the next two years, and wit-
nessed the awful catastrophe of the siege and sack
of Rome.

For a time, however, all went well. The Pope,
in his alarm, consented to form a new alliance with
the victor of Pavia, and on May-day attended
mass at the Church of the SS. Apostoli, and was
afterwards entertained at a banquet in the house
of his enemy. Cardinal Colonna. From the window
of the palace looking down into the church, the
Pope and the Marchesa witnessed the strange revels
that were held on this feast-day. His Holiness and
the Cardinal joined in letting loose hundreds of fowls,
partridges, quails, and pheasants among the women who
thronged the sacred precincts, and watched men climb-
ing a greasy pole to reach the pig at the top, while
spectators from the neighbouring houses threw pails of
water over them — "sports," adds Marcello Alberini,
who was present, " which are hardly convenient in a
sacred temple, but which the mob joined in gladly,
feeling sure they would never take place again." ^

Isabella's old friends in Rome were, for the most
part, dead and gone. Cardinal Bibbiena, Giuliano dei
Medici, Raphael were no more, and Castiglione was

* M. Alberini, Diarii, &c.

m THE COLONNA PALACE 247

far away in Spain. But a few were still left. Sadoleto
was papal secretary ; Paolo Giovio and Chiericati —
whom the last-named prelate calls the sweetest of all
his friends — were both at the Vatican ; while Pietro
Bembo came to Rome that winter to pay his re-
spects to Pope Clement. " Only the other day,"
wrote the Venetian humanist on the 20th of April,
" I saw the Lady Marchesana, honourably attended
by a fair and noble company, driving about in her
chariot, which is as fine a sight as it is a novel one
in Rome."^ Among the ladies who were present
with Isabella on this occasion was Camilla Gonzaga
di Novellara, whom Bembo honoured with his special
devotion, and with whom he kept up a lively cor-
respondence. After he left Rome, he sent this
youthful lady some of his sonnets, begging her to
present his salutations to the Marchesana and to
the Venetian ambassador, Domenico Venier, whom
he asked in his turn to love and honour the fair
Camilla a little more warmly for his sake than he
would naturally do on his own account.^ Another
humanist who was deeply attached to Camilla Gon-
zaga, the poet Molza, came to Rome in March
from Bologna, bringing letters to the Marchesa from
her son Ercole. " I know," wrote the future Car-
dinal to his mother, "how much you delight in the
company of learned men, but yet I ask you for
my sake to receive Molza with especial kindness,
and I am sure that before long he will compel you
and all your ladies to love him for his own sake."

So Isabella's house became once more the meet-
ing-place of poets and men of letters, who accom-

^ Leftere, iv. 41.

2 V. Cian, f/« Decennio nella vita di M. P. Bembo, p. Sp.

248 DEATH OF CARDINAL GONZAGA

panied her in her walks and drives, and read their
verses or told their stories under the ancient rums
of the Temple of the Sun, in the terraced gardens
looking down on the Baths of Const ant ine and
the distant Campagna. Her interest in antiques
was as keen as ever ; she explored the ruins, sought
out Roman medals, and bargained with dealers and
collectors over the prices of ancient marbles and
mosaics. Michel Angelo was absent working for the
Pope in Florence, but she made friends with his
follower, Sebastiano del Piombo, and especially ad-
mired his skill in painting portraits. She visited
all the famous churches and shrines in turn, and
was present in her chariot on the festival when all
Rome assembled to hear the witticisms of Pasquino,
who had recovered his old gaiety, under the rule of a
Medici Pope.

On the 4th of October, the Marchesa heard of
the death of her brother-in-law, Cardinal Sigismondo
Gonzaga, who had been laid up for many months at
Mantua with gout and increasing infirmities, and
without a moment's delay, she hastened to the Vatican
and entreated the Pope to confer the vacant hat on
her son Ercole. Clement vacillated as usual between
his wish to oblige the Marchesa and his dread of
affronting other applicants, but Isabella insisted with
so much force that in the end the Pope promised to
make Ercole a Cardinal whenever he saw his way to
increasing the number of the Sacred College. The
Marchesa left his presence, with a brief to this effect
in her hands, and on the 4th of November, Bembo,
writing from Padua to his friend Beazzano in Rome,
remarked : " A fortnight ago, the Duke of Urbino
showed me a copy of a brief which the Pope had

AND OF ELISABETTA 249

addressed to Signer Ercole Gonzaga, brother of the
Marquis of Mantua, promising, on the faith of a true
Pope, to make him Cardinal at the next creation,
and this I think will take place very soon." And
he wrote to Ercole in the same strain, advising him
to go to Rome himself as soon as possible. The
death of Sigismondo was a blow to his tender-
hearted sister Elisabetta. Her own health was in a
very precarious state, and Federico Gonzaga, fearing
the effect of a sudden shock, wrote to Emilia Pia,
begging her to break the news gently to his aunt.
But early in January, the good Duchess became
seriously ill, and on the 28th she passed away, to
the sorrow of her family and subjects. Both the
Duke and his wife were absent at the time, and
Leonora wrote from the neighbourhood of Verona
to tell her mother of Elisabetta's serious illness. A
few days later, the news of her death reached them,
and they both wept for one who had been to them
the best of mothers. The loss of this devoted sister
and friend was even more severely felt by Isabella,
who had been closely connected with Elisabetta for
the last forty-six years, and the Mantuan ambassador,
Francesco Gonzaga, gives a touching account of the
sorrow with which she received the news.

" Madama," he writes to Federico on the 5th of
February, " has felt the greatest distress at the death
of the widowed Duchess of blessed memory, and
besides the ties of blood, and the singular love which
has always united these two illustrious princesses, she
grieves over the loss of the most rare lady whom this
age has known. But it is the will of God, and we
can only bear our loss in patience. The news of the
said Duchess's death reached the ambassador of

250 BEMBO'S TRIBUTE

Urbino just before I received Your Excellency's
letter on Friday evening, and as the hour was late,
and Madama was in the company of some of these
Cardinals, I did not tell her until the following
morning. His Holiness, on his part, showed the
greatest sorrow for this sad event, and, in conver-
sation with me, remarked that we had lost a lady
of rare gifts and singular excellence, and that he
realised this the more fully because he had known her
intimately in the darkest days of her life. And he
observed that she would be a great loss to the Lord
Duke, whom she helped by her wise and prudent
counsels, and the admirable love which she had for
his subjects." ^

But, amongst all the tributes to Elisabetta's
memory, that which her old friend Bembo paid her
was the truest and most eloquent. " I have seen
many excellent and noble women," he wrote, " and
have heard of some who were more illustrious for
certain virtues, but in her alone among women all
virtues were united and brought together. I have
never seen or heard of any one who was her equal,
and know very few who have even come near
her." 2

The words, as Lady Eastlake remarked, may well
have suggested Shakespeare's hues : —

" For several virtues
Have I liked several women, never any
With so full soul, but some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed
And sent it to the foil ; but you, O you.
So perfect and so peerless are created
Of every creature's best."^

1 Luzio e Renier, Mantova, p. 274.
2 Opera, iv. ^ Quarterly Ucview, Ixvi. 24.

KJ;1SAT;ETTA GOXZAGA, DUCHKSh OV UHBIN'O.
By G. Caboto.

[To face 'p- 250, vol. ii.

LEAGUE AGAINST CHARLES V. 251

Meanwhile important political events were taking
place. On the 14th of January, the Treaty of
Madrid was signed, and Francis I. was released from
captivity. But hardly had he set foot in France than
the Pope absolved him from his oath to observe the
conditions of the treaty, and himself joined the new
League against the Emperor with France, Venice,
Florence, and the Duke of Milan. The Marquis of
Mantua, who was kept informed by his mother, and
Francesco Gonzaga, of all that happened in Rome,
remained strictly neutral, and begged the Pope's
leave to abstain from taking up arms against his liege
lord the Emperor, while the Duke of Ferrara, whom
Clement VII. refused to admit into the League,
made a secret agreement with Charles V., and sup-
plied his troops with provisions and ammunition.
The Pope was more furious than ever with his old
enemy. " If the Duke wishes to make the Emperor
master of all Italy," he exclaimed, " let him try his
worst ! Much good may it do him ! " ^ Guido
Rangone now led the papal forces to join the Duke
of Urbino, who, as Venetian general, assumed the
chief command of the armies of the League. But
whether owing to ill-health or excessive caution,
Francesco Maria allowed the Castello of Milan to
fall into the hands of the Imperialists without striking
a blow in its defence, and the unfortunate Sforza was
compelled to capitulate, on the 24th of July. He
retired to Lodi, and the Duke of Urbino, after
taking Cremona, left the camp, and joined his wife
at Mantua.

For a time all remained quiet in Rome. Isabella

^ Gayaugos, " Spanish Calendar of Letters" ; Creighton, "Hist,
of the Papacy," vi. 330, &e.

252 MARRIAGE OF GIULIA GONZAGA

spent the summer pleasantly, entertaining her friends
and collecting antiques and pictures. On the 2Gth
of July, the wedding of Vespasiano Colonna, the
head of his powerful house, and of the beautiful
Giulia Gonzaga, was celebrated in the Marchesa's
palace. The bridegroom was already an elderly
man, and had one daughter by a former marriage,
named Isabella, the richest heiress in Italy, whom
the Pope destined to be the bride of his young
cousin Ippolito dei Medici. But his vast wealth and
position made the match a briUiant one for the young
Gonzaga princess, and gave the Marchesa especial
satisfaction. The wedding was solemnised with great
splendour. Vespasiano took his fair bride to his
castle of Palliano in the Campagna, and no one
dreamt of the storm that was about to burst.

Two months later, on the 20th of September,
Rome was startled by a sudden inroad of the
Colonnas. Vespasiano and Ascanio Colonna, to-
gether with their kinsman Cardinal Pompeo, and
the Imperial envoy Don Ugo di Moncada, entered the
Lateran Gate without opposition, marched through
the city, and encamped in the Piazza SS. Apostoli,
under the windows of Isabella's palace. The Pope
and Cardinals fled to the Castell Sant' Angelo, the
Spanish soldiers pillaged the Vatican, and carried off
the gold and silver plate from the altars of St. Peter's.
Even Chiericati, whose Imperialist sympathies were
known to aU, and who stood high in Charles the
Fifth's favour, was unable to save his property. In
his terror, Clement sent for Moncada, and promised
to withdraw from the League. The invading force
retired, and the Pope recalled his troops to Rome,
and employed them to wreak vengeance on the

DEATH OF GIOVANNI DEI MEDICI 253

castles and dependants of the Colonnas in the
Campagna. But in November the German captain,
Frundsberg, crossed the Alps with 12,000 lands-
knechte, and after a few skirmishes with the Duke
of Urbino's forces, succeeded in effecting a junction
with Bourbon at Piacenza.

Isabella heard from her son of the death of Gio-
vanni delle Bande Nere, the son of her old frienci
Giovanni dei Medici and Caterina Sforza, and the
one leader of mark in the armies of the League.
This gallant soldier was mortally wounded in a des-
perate attempt to prevent the Imperialists from
crossing the Po at Governolo, and was carried
through thickly falling snow to the house of Lodo-
vico Gonzaga in Mantua. There the Duke of Urbino
came to visit the dying hero, and his old enemy, the
Marquis Federico, showed him every courtesy. " He
kissed him tenderly," writes Pietro Aretino, in the
letter describing his friend's last moments, " and
spoke gracious words, such as I never heard from
any prince saving only Francesco Maria." Federico,
deeply moved at the sight of this brave man lying
on his death-bed, begged him to ask for some favour,
since in his Hfetime he had refused to accept any-
thing at his hands. " Love me when I am dead,''
said Giovanni. "That I will indeed," replied the
Marquis, "and more than this, I, and many others,
will never cease to lament the loss of so noble and
excellent a prince."^ Soon afterwards, the Ch^an
diavolo, as his soldiers called him, breathed his last,
to the great regret of his kinsman Pope Clement.
"Et en verity," wrote the French ambassador, Du
Bellay, " c'estoit un grand homme de guerre."

' Pasolini, Caterina Sforza, ii. 39.

254 BOURBON MARCHES ON ROME

The Duke of Urbino now retreated towards the
Venetian frontier, and the ImperiaHst leaders, finding
that no further opposition was offered, continued
their march southwards, ravaging the country and
hving on plunder. Frundsberg was left at Ferrara
dangerously ill, and Bourbon found himself power-
less to restrain the savage hordes of German lands-
knechtCi clamouring for pay. Meanwhile, Renzo da
Ceri took the command of the papal forces south
of Rome, and succeeded in repulsing the Imperialists
under Lannoy, Viceroy of Naples. Encouraged by
this success, the Pope opened negotiations with
Lannoy, who came to Rome on the 25th of March,
and signed a truce of eight months. Clement VII.
agreed to withdraw his troops from Naples, while
Bourbon was to retire into Lombardy on payment
of 60,000 ducats. Lannoy went to meet Bourbon
at Florence, and the Pope, lulled into false security,
disbanded his forces in spite of repeated warnings
from the Marquis of Mantua. " The prudent advice
given by Your Excellency in your letter of the 28th
to the Pope," wrote Francesco Gonzaga, " telling him
not to disarm in spite of the truce, was as necessary
as it is worthy of praise, but His HoHness seems
already to have surrendered at discretion, There is
no doubt that it is the fixed, absolute will of God
to ruin both the Church and her ruler." ^

At the same time, Federico entreated his mother
to return to Mantua at once. But Isabella was de-
termined not to leave Rome without Ercole's hat, and
replied that it would be time to think of taking her
departure when the landsknechte were at the gates.
And since her nephew was in command of the

^ Gregorovius, Rom, viii. 507.

PANIC OF THE ROMANS 255

Imperial army, and her son Ferrante had hun-ied
back from Spain to join him, she had Httle cause
to fear for her own safety.

Lannoy now hastened to meet Bourbon, according
to his promise. He found the ImperiaUst general at
the foot of the Apennines, and told him of the
truce which had been signed in Rome. But the
Germans and Spaniards alike refused to accept these
terms, and since the Duke of Urbino was guarding
the passes towards Florence, demanded to be led
against the papal city. Lannoy, seeing that he was
powerless, went on to Siena, while Bourbon addressed
a letter to the Pope asking for 240,000 ducats, and
resumed his march across the Apennines, along the
great high-road to Rome.

On the 2nd of May, news reached the Vatican
that Bourbon was at Viterbo. Then the Pope for
the first time realised the peril of the situation, and
sent a courier to implore the Duke of Urbino to
hasten to his help. Many of the panic-stricken
citizens carried their treasures to the Castell Sant'
Angelo, or buried them underground. Others pre-
pared to fly, but were stopped by a decree from the
Pope forbidding any citizen to leave Rome on pain of
death. The gates were closed, and Renzo da Ceri
hastily levied a few hundred troops and strengthened
the defences of the city. " This morning," wrote the
French ambassador, Du Bellay, " I spent a whole
hour with the Pope. It is difficult to express the
terror he is in, but I did my best to inspire him with
a little courage. He wished Renzo to collect 1000
men, but it was impossible to raise as many ducats."^
In this extremity, Clement took the only means of

' Guicciardini, Opere inedite, v.

256 ERCOLE MADE A CARDINAL

raising money in his power, and appointed five new
Cardinals, who each paid 40,000 ducats as the price of
his elevation. One of the five was Ercole Gonzaga,
whom the Pope chose in spite of the opposition of
many of the Cardinals, who could not forgive his
brother Ferrante for serving with Bourbon. But
this was not the time to raise objections, and on Sun-
day the 5th of May, when Bourbon was already
under the walls of Rome, the red hat was borne to
the Palazzo Colonna, and safely delivered to the
Marchesa by Cardinal Pizzino. The desire of Isa-
bella's heart was at length gratified, but she could
no longer leave Rome.^ In this critical moment the
Marchesa showed remarkable presence of mind. She
sent a messenger to her son Ferrante and to Charles
de Bourbon, asking them to protect her house if
they captured the city. At the same time, she
ordered the palace to be fortified and garrisoned, and
laid in provisions to enable her followers to stand a
siege.

On Saturday the 4th of IMay, Bourbon sent a
herald to Renzo da Ceri, asking him to give his forces
provisions and a free passage to Naples. These pro-
posals were rejected with scorn, but the same envoy
conveyed a message to Isabella from Bourbon, telling
her to fortify and defend her house until he had
entered the city and was able to provide for her
safety. During the next two days a number of
wealthy Romans and noble ladies, including Madonna
Felice Orsim, the daughter of Pope Julius, sought
shelter within the walls of her palace, and as many
as 3000 souls are said to have found protection there.
Both Francesco Gonzaga, the Mantuan envoy, and
* M. Sanuto, Diarii, xlv. 207.

ISABELLA'S HOUSE BARRICADED 257

the ambassadors of Ferrara and Urbino were among
the fugitives whom Isabella received ; and on the
morning of the 6th of May, when the invaders were
already in the Borgo, the Venetian envoy, Domenico
Venier, being unable to reach Castell Sant' Angelo,
took refuge under the same hospitable roof Then
the gates were barricaded, and the brave Marchesa
calmly awaited the issue.

VOL. II.

CHAPTER XXXVl

1527—1529

Siege of Rome — Death of Bourbon — Rome sacked during three
days — Alessandro and Ferrante Gonzaga protect Isabella's
palace — Scenes of carnage in the city — Cruelty and sacrilege
of the soldiers — Isabella leaves Rome for Ostia — Returns to
Mantua — Is received with great joy — Escape of the Venetian
ambassador — General horror at the capture and sack of Rome
— Grief of Isabella's friends — Letters of Bembo, of Erasmus,
and of Sadoleto — Death of Castiglione in Spain.

On the evening of Sunday the 5th of May, the
ImperiaHst army crossed Monto Mario and encamped
under the walls of Rome. At midnight the trumpets
sounded, and in the early dawn the assault began.
The point chosen for attack was on the Vatican hill,
between the Porta Torrione and S. Spirito, where
the walls were lowest, and the assailants were hidden
by the thick white fog which clung to the banks of
the river. But a heavy fire from Renzo da Ceri's
men on the walls and from the guns of Sant' Angelo
thinned their ranks. For a moment the result
seemed doubtful. Then Bourbon, a splendid figure
in his silver armour, sprang from his horse, seized
a ladder, and, calling on his men to follow him,
began to scale the wall near the Campo Santo. But
hardly had he set foot upon it than he fell back,
struck by a musket-ball in the groin, crying, " Ha^
Notre Dame^je suis mort."^ The Prince of Orange
threw his mantle over him, and his attendants bore

DEATH OJb' BOURBON 259

him into the neighbouring chapel, where he breathed
his last half an hour later, still repeating the words,
** A Rome! a Rome!"^ Benvenuto Cellini, it is
well known, claimed to have fired the shot which
took such fatal effect, and his boast receives some
support from the statement of an eye-witness, that
Bourbon was shot by one of the Pope's goldsmiths,
who stood on the waU and singled him out as a
person of importance.

The Spanish troops, maddened at seeing their
leader fall, returned to the attack with fresh courage ;
a breach was made in the walls near Santo Spirito,
and the wild hordes of soldiery burst upon the ill-
fated city. The Pope was in St. Peter's kneeling
before the altar, when the news reached him that the
foes were in the Borgo. He saw the Swiss guards
flying before the landsknechte, and heard the cries of
" Spagna ! Impero ! " which rang through the streets,
as his attendants hurried him along the passage to
the Castello. Thirteen Cardinals followed in his
steps, and Paolo Giovio threw his purple mantle over
the Pope, lest his white robes should attract attention
as he crossed the wooden bridge into Sant' Angelo.^
One old Cardinal, Armellini, was drawn up ""in a
basket after the portculhs had been let down.
Another, the aged Cardinal Pucci, was dragged
half dead with fright and exhaustion, through a
window.^ The English and French envoys, Gregory
Casale and Alberto Pio of Carpi, had already taken
refuge there, and were joined later in the afternoon
by Renzo da Ceri, who, after a vain attempt to defend

^ Gregorovius, Rom, viii. 526.
' P. Giovio, Vita P. Colonna.
8 Gregorovius, op. cit, viii. 526.

260 SACK OF ROME

Trastevere, gave up all for lost and galloped over
the Ponte Sisto to the Castello. Luigi Rodomonte,
the gallant young Gonzaga captain, led the Italian
contingent of the Imperialist force over the Montorio
and across the Ponte Sisto into the heart of the city.
By half-past five the fighting was over, and the
Germans encamped on the Campo di Fiore, while
the Spaniards occupied Piazza Navona, and Ferrante
Gonzaga guarded the bridge of Sant' Angelo and the
approach to the Castello. Then these savage hordes
of soldiery were let loose. Thousands of rude Ger-
mans and fierce Spaniards rushed upon the defenceless
citizens, hurled women and children out of the win-
dows, and tortured their innocent victims to discover
hidden booty. In their wild frenzy these ruffians
showed neither pity nor reverence. Churches and
convents were robbed and burnt, altars stripped of
their sacred vessels, nuns outraged, and Cardinals
dragged naked through the streets. The Prince of
Orange took up his quarters in the Vatican, and
thus succeeded in saving the papal library and art
treasures ; but the Flemish tapestries, executed from
Raphael's cartoons, were stolen, and the landsknechte
stabled their horses in the Stanze adorned by the
great master of Urbino. The archives of the Capitol
perished, and countless family records and manuscripts
of priceless value were lost. The great gold Cross of
Constantine was carried off from the gates of St.
Peter's, and the graves of Pope Julius II. and of
the Prince of the Apostles himself were rifled. The
unspeakable horrors of the next three days are best
described by the Imperial Commissioner, Gattinara, in
the letter which he addressed to his imperial master :
" All the church ornaments were stolen, all the sacred

HORROKS OF THE SCENE 201

relics destroyed. Even the Sancta Sanctorum in the
Lateran, that most ancient and hoHest shrine, was
sacked, and the Volto Santo, or veil of Veronica, was
passed from hand to hand in the taverns of Lungara.
The Church of St. Peter and the Pope's palace, from
top to bottom, were turned into stables. There was
no leader to control our soldiers, and no discipline
anywhere. The Prince of Orange and our other
captains did what they could, but to little purpose.
The landsknechte behaved like true Lutherans, the
rest like brutes. No one of any age or sex escaped.
All alike were tortured and plundered." ^

From the windows of the Palazzo Colonna, Isa-
bella d'Este and her ladies looked down on these
awful scenes. They heard the agonising shrieks of
the women and the groans of the dying, and, over all,
the sullen booming of the guns of Sant' Angelo. As
they waited in terrible suspense through the long
hours, many among them thought that their last
moment had come. At length, as it was growing
dusk, a captain, wearing the black, red, and white
imperial colours in his helmet, was seen running
across the piazza. Camilla Gonzaga looked out
and joyfully recognised her brother Alessandro, who
was making his way on foot to the palace gates.
Immediately ropes were let down from the lofty
battlements, and the gallant Count was drawn up
to the windows. Then Isabella learnt from her kins-
man's lips all that had happened. He told her how
the city had been stormed, and her nephew Bourbon
slain in the act of scaling the walls, and how his
body was now lying in state in the Sistine Chapel,
while the Pope and Cardinals had fled to the Cas-

^ Dennistoun, " Dukes of Urbino," vol. iii. App.

262 FERRANTE RESCUES HIS MOTHER

tello. Before his tale was ended, a Spanish cavalier,
Don Alonzo da Cordova, arrived, and told the
Marchesa that the evening before, he had received
orders from the dead Duke to take her house under
his protection. Finally, about ten o'clock at night,
Ferrante himself arrived in hot haste, having been
unable to leave his post at the bridge of Sant' Angelo
until this instant. Isabella, who had not seen her
son since he started for Spain three years before,
welcomed him with tears of joy, and Ferrante, on
his part, was greatly relieved to find his mother and
her friends unhurt. Her house was the only one in
Rome that escaped, excepting the Cancellaria, which
was occupied by Cardinal Colonna. The palaces
of the Cardinals who belonged to the Imperialist
party, and had, therefore, thought themselves safe,
were stormed and plundered, and the house of the
Portuguese ambassador, the Emperor's own nephew,
was ruthlessly sacked. Even Ferrante Gonzaga's
presence could not save the distinguished person-
ages who had found shelter in the Marchesa's palace
from paying a heavy ransom. " It was hard work
for me to save Madama," wrote Ferrante to his
brother the Marquis, "for a report had been spread
abroad in the camp that she had more than two
millions of treasure in her palace, and this was en-
tirely due to her compassion, which made her receive
more than 1200 ladies and 1000 citizens within its
walls." In the end it was decided that the Marchesa
and her household should be exempted from ransom,
but that all the other refugees in the palace should
pay down a sum of 60,000 ducats, of which Ferrante
told his brother he did not receive a single farthing.^

^ Gregorovius, Rom, viii. 540.

THE VENETIAN ENVOY 263

" Signor Ferrante and Signor Luigi [Rodomonte]
have gained little or nothing in the sack of Rome,"
wrote a Venetian from the camp of the League, after
conversing with some of the fugitives who had been
released by these captains. " Rather, to their credit
be it said, they have lost and spent their own fortunes
in saving their personal friends who were unable to
pay the ransom which the landsknechte and Spaniards
exacted from their victims. People cannot say too
much of Signor Luigi, whose generosity and liberahty
are beyond all praise." ^

The Venetian ambassador, Domenico Venier, was
claimed by Alessandro Gonzaga as his prisoner, the
Count gallantly desiring Madama to fix the price
of his ransom. Even then he had no easy task
to save the envoy from being massacred or carried
off to Spain by Don Alonzo, who offered to pay
Alessandro 5000 ducats, if he would give up his
captive. As the ambassador told the Doge, he owed
his life solely to the intercession of Signor Ferrante
and his illustrious mother, who promised to be re-
sponsible for their kinsman's prisoner. Finally he wias
allowed to remain with Madama, on condition that
she would deliver him into the Count's hands at
Mantua, or pay the ransom which had been agreed
upon. The poor Venetian afterwards addressed a
pitiful appeal to the Doge from Civitavecchia, implor-
ing His Serenity to intercede with the Marquis on
his behalf, since he had lost everything in the siege,
and if he went to prison at Novellara he would
certainly die. As it was, his secretaries had to pay a
ransom of 150 ducats each, and Don Alonzo de-
manded 10,000 ducats from the Magnifico Marc-

1 M, Sanuto, Dia?ii, xlv. 206.

264 BRUTALITY OF THE VICTORS

antonio Giustiniani, because he heard that this
wealthy prelate had offered the Pope 40,000 ducats
to be made a Cardinal. Another Venetian patrician,
Marco Grimani, was more fortunate, and left Rome
disguised as a muleteer in the Marchesa's suite.^
Even when this bargain had been concluded with
the Spanish captain, the landsknechte threatened to
storm the palace, complaining that they had been
deprived of their share of the ransom, and were only
prevented from carrying out their intention by the
Prince of Orange, who left a stout German captain,
Johann by name, with a strong garrison to defend
the house.

On the 9th, the Prince issued a decree forbidding
all plundering, and summoning the troops to arms ;
but the demoralised soldiers paid no heed to his
orders, and during a whole week the same scenes
of violence and carnage were repeated. The palaces
of the Cardinals Delia Valle, Siena, Cesarini, and
Enckefort, who had paid a heavy ransom to the
Spaniards, were afterwards sacked by the Germans,
and these prelates were only saved by taking refuge
in the Cancellaria. When Cardinal Colonna returned
to Rome on the 10th of May, he burst into tears
at the scene that met his eyes. Paolo Giovio hailed
the coming of this prelate, who had been the Pope's
most bitter enemy, as that of an angel from heaven,
and tells us that during the next few days he rescued
no less than 500 unhappy nuns, as well as countless
other victims of every age and sex, from the hands of
the cruel Germans and still more cruel Spaniards.

"And all this miseiy has been caused by the
Duke of Urbino. Either this man has not the

^ M, Sanuto, Diarii, xlv. 214.

THE DUKE OF URBINO'S DELAYS 265

courage to face the enemy, or else he rejoices in the
Pope's ruin." So wrote Guicciardini, the Floren-
tine commissioner, from the camp of the League at
Isola, nine miles from Rome. Francesco Maria's
conduct was indeed inexplicable. He was either,
as the historian suggests, indifferent to the deliver-
ance of Rome, or else the most incapable of generals.
On the 3rd of May, he set out with his army from
Florence. On the 6th, Federico of Bozzolo pushed
forward with 800 horse, but was delayed by an un-
lucky accident. His horse fell, and the brave captain
broke his arm and leg, and had to be left at Viterbo.
His lieutenant, Pepoli, arrived at Ponte Molle, only
to find that he was too late. The enemy were already
in the Borgo, and with his small force he could do
nothing. The bulk of the army did not reach Isola
till the 22nd. Even then the Duke declared that
he could do nothing to help the Pope until he had
received reinforcements.

" The end of it all is," Guicciardini writes, " that
the Pope has been left to his fate. I need not say
whose the fault is. ... I am no general, and do not
understand the art of war, but I may tell you what
all the world is saying, that if, when the news of the
capture of Rome reached us, we had pressed on to
the relief of the Castello, we should have released
the Pope and Cardinals, and might have crushed the
enemy and saved the unhappy city. But all the
world knows what our haste has been ! . . . You
would really think that we had to do, not with the
deliverance of this unhappy Pope, on whom we all
depend, or with the rescue of this great city in its
death-agony, but with some trifling matter. So the
poor Pope remains in the Castello, begging for help

2GG THE rOPE ESCAPES

so earnestly that his entreaties would melt the very
stones, and in so abject a state of misery that even
the Turks are filled with pity I " '

The Pope's condition was indeed pitiable, and he
had many months of cruel indignities to bear before
an agreement with the Emperor was finally signed
on the 9th of December. Even then his terror was
so great that he preferred to escape by night with
the help of an Imperialist captain. Leaving the
Castello by a secret door, disguised as a pedlar, he
mounted a horse which was waiting for him in the
Vatican gardens, and rode to Orvieto under the escort
of the gallant Luigi Rodomonte.

Long before this, Isabella d'Este had left Rome.^
As soon as some degree of order had been restored,
on the 13th of May, her son Ferrante, with a strong
body of Spanish and Italian guards, escorted the
Marchesa and her suite, together with the three
ambassadors, to the shore of the Tiber, where galleys
were waiting to take them to Ostia.^ There they
were detained six days by rough weather, and when
Isabella, impatient to proceed on her journey, set
sail in one of Andrea Doria's ships, a terrific storm
suddenly arose. After escaping from this peril, the
travellers sailed into smooth water and reached
Civitavecchia on the morning of the 23rd of May
in beautiful weather.* The next day they took
horse and rode overland by Corneto, Toscanella,
and Pesaro to Ravenna, leaving the treasures
of antique marbles, pictures, and gems which the
Marchesa had collected in Rome to go by sea to
Leghorn. Wherever Isabella and her companions

^ Guicciardini, Op. Inedite, vol. ix. ^ A. Reumont, Rom., iii. 220.
' M. Sanuto, op. cit. xlv. 216, &c. * M. Sanuto, op. cit. xlv. 220.

ISAEELI.A T.EAVES HOME 267

came, they were greeted with breathless inquiries as
to the fate of Rome, and told the same terrible tale
of the awful disasters which had befallen the once
glorious city.

Isabella s own family had been full of anxiety on
her account. When the first news of the death of
Bourbon and the sack of Rome reached the camp
of the League, it was feared that she had perished
in the general ruin. On the 14th of May, the Duke
of Urbino's secretary, writing from Orvieto to Leo-
nora, who was at Venice with her children, said
that the Portuguese ambassador's house had been
sacked by the brutal soldiery, greedy for gold, and
that the same was reported of Madama's house,
which God forbid I It was known, however, that the
ambassador of Urbino and many illustrious person-
ages had found shelter under the Marchesa's roof,
and that, alone among the Roman palaces, the house
had been strongly fortified. The Marquis Federico
heard from Florence that only the Castello Sant'
Angelo and a palace which held a Marchesa and
many nobles had escaped the fury of the destroyers ;
but it was not till a servant of the Venetian ambas-
sador reached Mantua, on the 16th of May, that
Isabella was known to be safe under her son's pro-
tection. A few days later, Ferrante himself wrote to
relieve his brother's mind, and by the 9th of June
the Marchesa herself reached Ferrara. After a brief
interval of sorely-needed repose, Isabella once more
resumed her journey, and sailed up the Po, in the ducal
barge, to Governolo. Here Ercole Gonzaga came to
meet her, and received the Cardinal's hat from his
mother's own hands.^ The next day they sailed up

* G. Daino, Cronaca ; D'Arco, Notizie, 237.

268 -RETURNS TO MANTUA

the Mincio to Mantua, where the Marquis and a
brilliant train of knights and ladies were awaiting their
arrival, and the whole city poured out to welcome
the beloved Marchesa, and escort her with shouts of
triumph and tears of joy to the palace gates. Leonora
was at Venice, where the Signory practically detained
her as a hostage for the Duke's fidelity, but her two
little girls went to Mantua to receive their grand-
mother. ** I have not yet taken the children to visit
Madama," wrote their tutor on the 15th of June,
"because she only arrived yesterday, and is very
much occupied, but we hope to see her soon."^

The Venetian ambassador, Domenico Venier,
reached Mantua on the same lovely June evening
as the Marchesa, and remained there as the prisoner
of Alessandro da Novellara until the end of October.
His wife came to meet him, and spoke warmly of
Federico's kindness, and of the pleasures which he
was enjoying after the cruel hardships which he had
endured. None the less the envoy took the first
opportunity of escaping from Mantua without paying
the ransom which had been agreed upon, and on the
evening of the 17th of October, sent the Signory
word that he had reached Verona safely. The
Marchesa, justly indignant at this breach of faith,
addressed a letter of remonstrance to the Doge, which
was read to the Senate and pronounced to be very
wise by all who were present. But we are not told
if Count Alessandro ever received his promised
ransom, and the Mantuan ambassador who dehvered
Isabella's letter was careful to inform the prince that
the Signor Marchese rejoiced with His Serenity on
the Venetian envoy's escape.^

^ Luzio e Renier, Mantova, &c., p. 279-
2 M. Sanuto, op. cit., xlvi.

PLAGUE AND FAMINE 269

Meanwhile, Ferrante Gonzaga, who had with-
drawn to Velletri on the 17th of June with the
Imperialist horse, wrote to congratulate his mother
on her escape from the horrors of the ruined city,
and safe return to Mantua. " I can no longer delay
to kiss your hand, and rejoice with you that you
were so fortunate as to leave that most miser-
able and unhappy city of Rome, which, after the
utter ruin brought upon her by the soldiers, is
now scourged by God with famine and plague. —
From your son and servant, Ferrante Gonzaga." ^
Velletri, June 23, 1527.

The landsknechte, who remained in Rome, were
dying by thousands, and the plague had even pene-
trated into the precincts of Sant' Angelo. But still
the German soldiers refused to leave Rome until they
had received their arrears of pay, and anarchy reigned
supreme. When at length the last foreign troops
left Rome, and the Pope returned after an exile of
ten months, he found a ruined and depopulated city.
It was reckoned that as many as 30,000 of the in-
habitants had perished by the sword of the invaders
or died of plague and famine, while another 20,000
had sought refuge in flight.^ So deeply was the
memory of those days of horror engraved in the
hearts of succeeding generations, that to this day
Roman mothers hush their children to sleep with the
words, " Go to sleep, httle one ; Borbone is gone I " ^

From all parts of the civihsed world a wail went
up to heaven over this awful catastrophe. Isabella's
friends sighed over the terrible ruin which had over-

^ Gregorovius, Rom., p. 540.

' M. Alberino.

' R. Lanciani, " Destruction of Rome," p. 226.

270 GRIEF OF THE HUMANISTS

whelmed this great and beautiful city, once the place
of all dehghts. Bembo wept in the lovely gardens
of his Paduan villa, when he heard the heart-rending
details told by the poet Molza, who had escaped with
his hfe, as it were by miracle. ** Come here, I im-
plore you," wrote Pietro to his old friend Tebaldeo,
" and leave the miserable corpse of our once beautiful
Rome." ^

The poor poet had lost everything in the sack, and
owed his life to Cardinal Colonna, on whose charity
he lived until a timely loan from Bembo reached
him. Paolo Giovio lost his precious manuscripts,
and Colocci saw his priceless collection of antiques
destroyed by the savage soldiery, and was himself
exposed to their brutal insults. " Fortunate indeed,"
said Molza, " are those who were spared the sight of
these awful horrors, and did not have to witness
the funeral of the city of Romulus." Sadoleto, in
the peaceful haven of his bishopric at Carpentras,
heard with anguish of the misery which his friends had
suffered, and saw in these terrible events the long-
delayed judgment of God. Yet the Roman scholar
could not repress a sigh for those joyous days of yore,
and in a touching letter to his old friend Colocci, he
recalls those pleasant evenings in the Quirinal gardens
when Bembo and Castiglione, Pheedra and Nava-
gero, and the brilliant Marchesa herself, spent happy
hours together in gay or serious, in witty or thought-
ful discourse. " Alas ! those days are for ever gone,
and the cruel fate of Rome has darkened all our
joy."^ As Erasmus wrote to Sadoleto: "Rome was
not alone the slirine of the Christian faith, the nurse of

^ Lettere, iii. 34.

2 Sadoleto, Ep., p. 106.

DEATH OF CASTIGLIONE 271

noble souls and the abode of the Muses, but the
mother of the nations. To how many was she not
dearer and sweeter, more precious than their own
native land I ... In truth, this is not the ruin of one
city, but of the whole world." ^

There was another of Isabella's friends on whom
the blow fell with even greater severity. This was
CastigHone, who, as nuncio at the court of Madrid,
had done his utmost to appease the Emperor's v^rath
and save the unhappy Pope. His efforts were doomed
to failure. Charles V. himself could hardly be held re-
ponsible for the sudden turn which events had taken.
But the bitter reproaches which Clement VII. ad-
dressed to his envoy were keenly felt by the Count.
He was already ill, and never recovered from the
shock. Even the Emperor's favour could not console
him, and, after lingering on through the next summer,
he died at Toledo on the 7th of February 1529.

Charles V. heard the news with genuine regret,
and, turning to his courtiers, said : "We have lost one
of the greatest cavaliers in the world." In his home
at Mantua, Castiglione's death was the cause of bitter
sorrow, ahke to his aged mother, who alone remained
to watch over her orphan grandchildren, and to the
friends whom he had loved so well. The coming of
his footsteps was vainly awaited in his favourite
loggia, and the Marchesa's reunions lacked the pre-
sence of her most brilliant guest. Giuho Romano
was employed to raise a noble monument to his old
patron's memory in the sanctuary of S. Maria delle
Grazie, and Isabella lamented in him the most
accomplished of her courtiers and the most faithful
of her friends.

1 Erasmus, Ep., p. 988.

CHAPTER XXXVIl

1527—1529

Misery of Italy — Pkgue in Mantua — Federico's buildings — Isa-
bella's Roman antiquities lost on the voyage — Her correspond-
ence with the Roman dealer, Raphael of Urbino — Sebastiano
del Piombo — Cardinal Ercole's love of art and letters — Death
of Emilia Pia — Veronica Gambara and Correggio's Magdalen
— The Allegories painted by Correggio for Isabella's Studio —
Titian visits Mantua and paints Isabella's portrait — Copy by
Rubens at Vienna.

Isabella found her faithful Mantuans in a melan-
choly condition on her return from Rome. During
the two years that she had been absent, war had
raged unceasingly in Lombardy. The unfortunate
Francesco Sforza, ill in body and exposed to attacks
on all sides, vainly tried to maintain himself against
the Imperialists, and the Spanish general, Leyva,
had the greatest difficulty in feeding his army. The
desolation of the country and the misery of its few
remaining inhabitants made a deep impression on
the English ambassadors who were sent by Henry
VIII. to the Congress of Bologna in 1529. There
were no labourers at work in the fields, no dwellers
in the villages, and in the once flourishing cities of
Lombardy, whole families might be seen begging
their bread. " It is, sir," wrote Nicolas Carew to
the King, " the most pity to see this country, as we
suppose, that ever was in Christendom. . . . Betwixt
VercelU and Pavia the whole country has been

273

^ ooaf^f^U-. iyn.. (^ j

GIULIO ROMANO 273

wasted. We found no man or woman labouring in
the fields, and all the way we saw only three women
gathering wild grapes. The people and children are
dying of hunger." ^

Although Mantua itself had been spared the
horrors of war, the continual passage of foreign armies
had brought famine and destitution in its train, and
to add to the general distress, a terrible outbreak of
plague spread over the whole of North Italy. During
the year 1528, one-third of the population of Mantua
died of this epidemic, and Isabella, in her anxiety to
reUeve the distress of her subjects, once more pledged
her finest jewels, including the famous collar of a
hundred gems. In spite of these troubles, Federico
Gonzaga eagerly carried on his architectural works,
and Giulio Romano and a whole band of assistants
were employed to decorate the sumptuous halls of
the Palazzo del T^. So intent was the young Mar-
quis on his plans, that he made a great favour of
allowing the artists in his service to carry out any
improvements in Isabella's houses. On one occasion
he wrote from his favourite villa of Marmirolo, which
was also being decorated on a lavish scale, to Giulio
Romano in these terms : " Messer Giulio, — Hearing
that the illustrious Madonna, our honoured mother,
wishes Maestro Battista to make those new rooms
of which she spoke, we beg you to explain to Her
Excellency, that although this will be veiy incon-
venient to us at a time when so many workmen
in our pay are ill and unable to work, we are willing
that M. Battista should serve her for this one week.
But I beg you to entreat Her Excellency, in our

^ " Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII.," iv.
2719.

VOL. 11. S

274 ISABELLA'S QUARREL

name, not to keep him more than a week, as this
would cause us great inconvenience and expense." ^

Isabella, it is clear, had returned from Rome full
of plans for the decoration of her palaces, and the
eighteenth-century historian, Bettinelli, tells us that
in his time, a gallery with elegantly painted ara-
besques, leading from the Studio of the Grotta to the
garden-court, bore the date of 1527.^ Unfortunately
one of the galleys laden with the precious marbles,
tapestries, and porcelain which the Marchesa had
collected with so much trouble and expense in Rome,
fell into the hands of Saracen pirates, and only a
few of these treasures ever reached Mantua. Among
these priceless works of art were two of the Vatican
tapestries, executed from Raphael's designs — the
Conversion of Saul, and S. Paul in the Areopagus,
— which Ferrante Gonzaga rescued from Spanish
soldiers and sent to Mantua for safety.^

Among Isabella's own purchases were two figures
which she had bought in Rome, from a dealer who
bore the splendid name of Raphael of Urbino, for 43
ducats, as was duly entered in her book of payments,
under the date of January 14, 1527.* After the
marbles were brought to her house, the Marchesa
discovered to her great indignation that these
statues were not antiques, and promptly sent
them back to the dealer, demanding the return
of her money. Then came the siege and sack
of Rome, and in the general confusion that
followed no more was heard of Messer Raphael.

1 D'Arco, Arte, &c., ii. 153.

2 S. Bettinelli^ Delle lettere e d. arti Mantovani, p. 87.

3 Luzio, Arch. St. Lomb. xxxv. 89.
* Gaye, Carteggio, ii. 192, &c.

WITH A ROMAN DEALER 275

After her return to JNlaiitua, the Marchesa wrote
to Francesco Gonzaga, who had gone back to
Rome with the Pope, begging him to inquire
into the matter, and obtain the restoration of
her ducats, or, if these are not forthcoming, of
the statues, since to lose both would be "an unfair
and iniquitous thing." " If M. Raphael," she adds
in a postscript, " persists in saying that these figures
are antique, you can give him the opinions of M.
Giacomo Sansovino the sculptor, of Colombo the
antiquarian, and of a sculptor called Lorenzo, all
of whom pronounced the said figures to be modern.
All three are highly skilled in the art of sculpture,
so that their opinion is of great weight." M.
Raphael, however, still declared that his statues
were antiques, and that one was lost, but begged
the Marchesa to accept the remaining figure,
together with two majolica vases which had been
ordered by Monsignore Palmieri before the siege, but
were now left on his hands. Isabella repUed that, if she
could not have her ducats, she would prefer to have
a certain fine medal which he had shown her in
Rome. But this medal, the dealer said, had been
lost, with many others of his most valuable objects,
during the occupation of Rome by the Imperialists,
so that he was left almost penniless. The Marchesa,
however, would not be so easily satisfied, and ad-
dressed another letter to her ambassador on the
14th of August.

*' It is all very well," she wrote, " for M. Raphael
to plead poverty, and make himself out so destitute,
but our beUef is that he does not choose to satisfy
us in any form. Neither can we understand the
truth of his excuse, since we know that, when the

£76 MESSER RAPHAEL'S EXCUSES

Colonnas pillaged the Borgo, he told us that he had
sent this antique medal with all his most precious
things out of Rome. This makes us feel sure that,
if he were so prompt in saving his medal on that
occasion, he must have been still more expeditious
before the invasion of the Spaniards and the sack
of Rome. If he denies this, we shall not believe
him so readily, but shall remain convinced that he
could let us have the medal if he chose. So we beg
you to ask him for this again, and assure him that
we would rather have nothing in exchange for our
statuettes than put up with poor and vulgar things."
Again, on the 4th of September, she repeated
her conviction that M. Raphael had the medal, and
did not see how he could refuse to let her have it
if he had any shred of honesty left I But the unfor-
tunate dealer seems really to have been unable to
gratify the Marchesa's wish, and after a protracted
correspondence, Isabella wrote curtly to Francesco
Gonzaga on the 29th, saying that she would be
content with the things which M. Raphael offered,
and desired them to be sent to Mantua by the
next courier. The ambassador was not more suc-
cessful in recovering a marble bas-relief which the
Marchesa had bought, but allowed to remain in a
dealer's shop for greater safety, and which, after the
sack, had passed into Cardinal di Cesi's hands. This
prelate courteously but firmly declined to give up
his possession, and after a protracted correspondence,
Isabella told her ambassador that it was clear Mon-
signore meant to keep the relief, and that as she did
not wish to go to law with him, he had better say
no more.^

1 Gaye, op. cit.^ p. 192-5.

SEBASTIANO DEL PIOMBO 277

Fortunately the Marchesa was able to recover
another of her Roman purchases, a collection of silver
medals which she had left in the charge of her son
Ferrante. When this prince retired to Velletri,
he gave his mother's medals to Messer Pandolfo
Pico della Mirandola, the agent who had told her of
Raphael's death. On Ferrante's return to Rome,
however, the medals were missing, and it was not till
February 1529 that the Marchesa sent the painter
Sebastiano del Piombo, to find out what Pandolfo
had done with them. Sebastiano, who was then in
Venice, informed her that he was soon leaving for
Rome, and would execute her commission on his
arrival without fail. On the 1st of March, Isabella
repUed : —

*^ Magistro Sebastiano Luciano, — We have re-
ceived your reply to our letter about the medals,
and are very glad to hear that you are going to
Rome in a few days, because by this means we hope
to receive them shortly. And we hope you will be
so good as to give them to our ambassador at the
Vatican, who has orders to send them to us by the
best and safest way, and for this we shall be very
grateful. — Isabella, March. Mant."^

The Venetian master was as good as his word,
and the medals were safely forwarded to Mantua,
and presented by the Marchesa to her son Federico,
who thanked her exceedingly for the gift, which he
valued highly. Sebastiano was already well known
both to the Marquis and his mother, who had a
high opinion of his merit as a portrait painter.
In May 1524, Federico wrote to one of his corre-
spondents in Rome begging for a small picture from

^ Gaye, op, cit., p, 178.

278 HIS PORTTIAIT OF ERCOLE

the hand of Sebastianello Veneziano, " not figures of
Madonnas or Saints, but some fine and beautiful
invention." The Marquis, it seems, was anxious to
emulate the collection of paintings by different
masters, which adorned his mother's Studio of the
Grotta.^ Four years later, when the newly-made
Cardinal Ercole went to pay his respects to the
exiled Pope, he fell in with the Venetian master,
who was an intimate friend of the humanist Molza,
and wrote to his mother from Orvieto on the 25th
of March 1528 :—

" A few days ago, Maestro Sebastiano, a painter
whose art is as excellent as his reputation is great,
came to pay me his respects. I begged him to take
my likeness, because the other day, when I was in
Mantua, I remember hearing Your Excellency say
that he painted very life-like portraits, and he has
promised to do this as soon as he can procure
the requisite colours. As soon as the picture is
painted I will send it to Your Excellency."

Isabella replied without delay, on the 6th of
April : —

" I told you, and repeat now, that it is perfectly
true this 3Iaestro has the most admirable skill in
portraiture, and I am greatly delighted to hear of
your intention, all the more since you are going
to send me this portrait. I assure you that nothing
in the world would please me better." ^

Now that Federico had transferred so much of
his affections to his mistress, Isabella Boschetti, and
that Ferrante was constantly engaged in military
service, Ercole occupied an increasingly large place

^ Gaye, op. ciL, ii. 10.

2 Luzio in Emporium, 1900, p. 431.

DEATH OF EMIIJA PTA 279

in his mother's heart. The young Cardinal was an
attentive son, and his frequent letters to Isabella
abound in allusions to artistic and literary matters.
While he was still at Bologna he became a collector.
In January 1523, hearing that Alberto Pio da
Carpi had been declared a rebel and deprived of his
State by Prospero Colonna, he begged that general
to allow him to buy the exiled prince's hbrary, which
was said to contain the finest collection of Greek and
Latin authors in all Italy. Colonna readily agreed
to grant his request, but before he obtained possession
of the famous library, Alberto's brother, Leonello
Pio, recovered Carpi by a fortunate stroke, much to
Ercole's disappointment. After the sack of Rome,
the poet Molza found himself compelled to sell his
own library, and wrote to his old friend Ercole in
April 1529, imploring him to buy it, lest so noble a
collection should leave Italy. " If Your Excellency
does not buy the books," he adds, " I fear they are
sure to go to England, which God forbid should
happen in the Ufetime of the Cardinal of Mantua 1" ^

In May 1528, Isabella received the sad news of
her old friend Emilia Pia's death at Urbino. Elisa-
betta Gonzaga's devoted companion did not long
survive the sister-in-law whom she had loved so well,
and died very suddenly on the 21st of May, without
being able to make her will or receive the last Sacra-
ments. This excellent lady, whose virtues were known
to all, was singularly free from the prejudices and
superstitions of her age, and often discussed rehgious
questions with a frankness which excited suspicion in
certain quarters. It was now reported at Orvieto,
that Madonna Emilia had died repeating passages
* Luzio in Giom. St., viii. 385.

280 VERONICA GAMBARA

from Castiglione's " Cortigiano " to Lodovico da
Canossa, instead of devoutly commending her soul
to God. The Pope asked the Urbino ambassador
if this were true, but he denied the report in-
dignantly, and wrote to Leonora Gonzaga, saying :
" What tales people tell I I for one do not believe
the story. Still, even this may be possible. None the
less, I pray that our Lord God may receive her soul
in peace."

Three months afterwards, Emilia Pia's niece,
the accomplished Veronica Gambara, wrote an
interesting letter to the Marchesa, telling her of a
picture which the young painter of Correggio, An-
tonio AUegri, had just finished. A daughter of
Gianfrancesco Gambara of Brescia, and of Alda Pia,
Veronica belonged to a group of younger women,
remarkable for beauty and culture, who looked up
to the Marchesa with great respect, and felt highly
honoured by her friendship. In 1503, when she was
barely eighteen, we find Veronica writing to thank
Isabella for the great goodness which she had shown
her, and after her marriage to Giberto I., lord of
Correggio, in 1508,^ stood sponsor to her eldest son.
Giberto died in 1518, but Veronica, who was his
second wife, remained faithful to his memory, and
devoted herself to literature and the education of
his children. Her own poems were highly esteemed
by contemporary scholars, especially by Pietro
Bembo, who corresponded with this princess from the
days of her girlhood. Veronica herself often visited
Mantua, and was on friendly terms with Castiglione,
Molza, and many other members of Isabella's circle.
She was deeply interested in the gifted painter

1 V. Rossi, Musica in Urbino, p. 6.

CORREGGIO'S MAGDALEN 281

Allegri, who was a native of Correggio. A pupil of
the Ferrara artist, Lorenzo Costa, Allegri probably ac-
companied his master to Mantua in 1508, and one of
his early works, the charming Madonna at Hampton
Court, was in the Gonzaga collection. He afterwards
worked for Alessandro Gonzaga da Novellara, who
married Giberto da Correggio's daughter, Costanza.
In the last years of his life, he was often employed
by the IMarquis Federico, and the beautiful Antiope
of the Louvre, and the Education of Cupid, which
both came to England in the Mantuan collection,
were probably painted before this date. So that
Correggio was already well known to Isabella when
Veronica Gambara wrote the following letter : —

" I should fail in my duty to Your Excellency if I
did not tell you of the masterpiece of painting which
our Antonio Allegri has just completed, knowing, as
I do, how much pleasure it would give Your High-
ness, who is so excellent a judge of these things. The
picture represents the Magdalen in the desert in a
dark cavern, whither she has fled in her penitence.
She kneels on the right, lifting clasped hands to heaven
and imploring pardon for her sins. Her beautiful
attitude, and the expression of deep but noble sorrow
on her most lovely face, are so striking that every
one who has seen the picture is filled with wonder.
In this work the painter has expressed all that is most
sublime in the art of which he is so great a master." ^

Isabella, we know, was very short of money at this
moment, and could hardly afford to buy the picture,
much as she may have wished to possess it. But it
is worthy of notice that in a letter written from
Parma about the same time, by Carlo Malaspina, he

^ W. Braghirolli, Giom. di Enid. Art., i. 325.

282 HE PAINTS TWO ALLEGORIES

remarks that the Marchesa di Novellara has heard
from Ortensio Landi that Correggio has lately painted
a beautiful Magdalen for the Magnificent S ignore di
Mantova.^

Whether the Marchesa ever owned a Magdalen
by Correggio or not, we know that two admirable
tempera paintings from his hand adorned her
Grotta. In the inventory of 1642, these works
are described as : " Two pictures by the entrance
door, from the hand of the late Antonio da Correggio,
one of which represents the story of Apollo and
Marsyas, the other the three virtues, Justice, Tem-
perance and Fortitude, teaching a child to measure
time, in order that he may win the palm and be
crowned with laurel." And in Vanderdoort's ^ inven-
tory of Charles the First's collection the same paintings
are described as : "One large and famous picture
painted upon cloth in water-colours, kept shut up in
a wooden case, where they are tormenting and flaying
Marsyas. The second, another the like piece in water-
colours of Anthony Correggio, being an unknown
story containing four entire figures in a land skip, and
four angels in the clouds." The Commonwealth in-
ventory is still vaguer in its interpretation, and
merely enters Correggio's temperas as A Satire
Flead (flayed) and Another of the Same, but values
them at the high price of £1000, for which they
were actually bought by the banker Jabach.

The true title of these paintings was the Triumph
of the Vices and of the Virtues. In the one, a
naked man is seen bound to a tree. Evil Habit,
a woman wearing vipers in her hair, binds him with

^ Braghirolli, op. ciL, 33%
« P. 76.

FOR ISABELLA'S GROTTA 283

cords, and Pleasure plays a flute in his ear, seeking
to drown the voice of Conscience, a figure clad in
violet, who darts scorpions at the helpless victim,
while a mischievous satyr dangles a bunch of grapes
before his eyes. In the other, three tall and stately
women are grouped round a fair boy in armour.
Justice, clad in a coat of mail, leans on her lance.
Fortitude reclines on a lion's skin, with sword and
bridle in her hand, and Wisdom measures the globe
with one hand, while with the other she points to
the wide valley and distant hills, telHng the youthful
scholar that the future as well as the past are all
hers to give. Three genii, playing musical instru-
ments, hover in the golden light above the trees,
and one floats downwards with a wreath to crown
the child trained in the paths of virtue.

These subjects agree exactly in style and character
with the compositions by Mantegna, Perugino, and
Costa, which already adorned Isabella's Studio. They
were, no doubt, invented by the Marchesa herself,
with the help of some favourite humanist, and painted
in tempera by the young master of Correggio to
match AndresLsfantasie. If their allegorical nature
was little suited to the painter's genius, he has shown
great skill in overcoming the difficulties of the theme,
and has given us forms of real grace and beauty, set
in a landscape of exquisite charm.

Soon after Isabella's return from Rome, two pic-
tures by a still greater master reached Mantua. These
were the portraits of Pietro Aretino, and of the Vene-
tian patrician Adorno, an old friend of the Gonzagas,
who had managed to ingratiate himself with the
Federico of late years. They were sent to the Mar-
quis at the Aretine's suggestion, with a letter from

284 TITIAN'S PORTKAIT

Titian, begging him to accept these pictures of his
two friends, which he thinks may be agreeable to
His Excellency, whose love of painting is well known,
and has been proved by his generous patronage of
Messer Giuho Romano. Both Federico and his
mother were delighted with these portraits, now
alas I lost to the world, and endeavoured by eveiy
means in their power to bring Titian to Mantua.
The painter, however, was not able to accept their
pressing invitations until March 1529, when Alfonso
d'Este sent him to Mantua with a letter, cordially
recommending this favourite master to his nephew,
but begging him not to keep him too long. It was,
there can be no doubt, during the month which he
spent at the court of the Gonzagas, at this time,
that Titian painted his first portrait of Isabella.
Unfortunately this precious picture, the only portrait
of the Marchesa which Titian painted from life, went
to England, where it was described as a "Duchess
of Mantua, in a red gowne," and valued at £50 at
the time of the King's sale, after which it was never
heard of again. Before this, however, it was copied
by Rubens when he visited Mantua early in the seven-
teenth century, and the Flemish master's copy now
hangs in the Imperial Gallery at Vienna.^ Rubens has
coarsened the features and vulgarised the forms of
Titian's model, but, in the absence of the lost original,
his work is of great interest, and gives us some idea
of Isabella's appearance in ripe middle age. The Mar-
chesa wears a handsome robe of crimson velvet with
a gold girdle, a long necklace round her bare throat,
and an open chemisette of frilled muslin, studded
with gems. Her dark locks have not yet lost the

1 No. 845.

OF ISABELLA 285

golden-brown tint of earlier years, but are partly
hidden by a turban-shaped cap of puckered silk,
richly adorned with jewels. This style of coiffure, as
we know, had been adopted by Isabella more than
twenty years before. In 1509, her cousin. Countess
Eleonora Rusca, the daughter of Niccolo da Correggio,
wrote from her husband's castle of Locarno on Lago
Maggiore, asking the Marchesa's leave to borrow this
invention of hers, which had been already adopted by
several Milanese ladies, and wear a similar head-dress,
as she had lost her hair in a recent illness.^ Isa-
bella's natural tendency to embonpoint had evidently
increased with years, and when Titian painted her at
the age of fifty-five, she was decidedly matronly in
appearance. But her handsome features are still the
same as in Leonardo's drawing and Cristoforo's medal,
and bear a remarkable hkeness to those of her
daughter Leonora. Both face and form are full of
character, and the whole has an air of dignified repose
not unbecoming the Marchesa's age and rank. We
see before us a noble woman of refined taste and
clear intellect, already past the noontide of life, who
has known the best and the worst that life has to
give, and who, serene and untroubled, neither vexed
by dark presentiments nor deluded by false hopes, can
await the coming morrow in the spirit of her own
motto — Nee spe nee metu^

^ Luzio in Arch. St. Lomb., 1901, p. 171.

^ Since these lines were in print, M. Leopold Goldschmidt has
acquired a superb Titian from a private English collection, in
which the best critics recognise the original portrait of Isabella
d'Este. The features have all the delicacy that is wanting in Rubens's
copy, the expression is more refined and intellectual, and the whole
has that indefinable air of distinction and nobility which stamps the
great Venetian's art. See Gazette d. Beatux Arts, 1903, p. 106.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

1528—1529

Marriage of Ercole d'Este to Renee de France — Isabella goes to
Modena to receive the bride — Fetes at Ferrara — Character
of Renee — Isabella's regard for her niece — Renee's sympathy
with French and Italian reformers — Isabella's toleration —
Messibugo's Book of Ercole's festival — Treaties of Barcelona
and Cambray — Charles V. lands at Genoa — Is entertained by
the Duke of Ferrara on his way to Bologna — Ferrante Gonzaga
marches against Florence — Isabella visits Solarolo — Arrives at
Bologna for the Congress — State entry of Charles V.

In the autumn of 1528, Isabella went to Ferrara
and was present at the festivities in honour of her
nephew Ercole's marriage to Renee, daughter of
Louis XII., King of France, and sister of the
reigning Queen Claude. The successful campaign
of the French armies under Lautrec in Naples had
encouraged the Duke of Ferrara to renew his old
alliance with Francis I.,^ and on the 28th of June the
wedding of his son Ercole with this monarch's sister-
in-law, the Princess Renee, was solemnised with
great splendour in the Samte Chapelle. After a
succession of hunting-parties and balls at Fontaine-
bleau and St. Germain, the bridal pair set out for
Italy on the 20th of September, as Bartolom-
meo Prospero wrote from Montargis to inform
the Marchesa. " They will travel," he writes, " by
slow stages through Lyons, Turin, Parma, Reggio,
and Modena, and wiU hardly reach Ferrara before

^ Guicciardiui, Sloria d' Italia, ix. 314.

2S6

RENEE DE FRANCE 287

the middle of November. Here," he adds, "there
is no other news, saving a report that the Empress
is ill of an infectious disease, and that the Chancellor
of Spain is dying. Cardinal Campeggio has arrived
at court on his way to England, and holds a com-
mission from the Pope, it is said, to make peace
between the Powers." Meanwhile, the Duke of
Ferrara, in his anxiety to do honour to this princess
of France, begged Isabella to assist in her reception,
since his only daughter Leonora was still a child.
Thirty-seven years had passed since Isabella, then
herself a youthful bride, had brought her young
sister-in-law, Anna Sforza, to Ferrara ; and twenty-
five years since, in the full pride of her beauty, she
had assisted at Lucrezia Borgia's wedding. Now
she once more came back to her old home to wel-
come the heir of Ferrara's bride, for the third time in
her long and eventful life. At her brother's request,
she came to Modena early in November, and re-
ceived the bride when she made her triumphal entry
amid such firing of guns, blowing of trumpets, and
ringing of bells, that it seemed, says the chronicler,
as if the sky and air would crumble to pieces.^
After a fortnight spent in fetes and rejoicings, Ercole
and his bride went on to Belvedere, the superb
new palace — celebrated by Ariosto in his Orlando—
which Alfonso had built on an island in the Po.
A description of this wonderful summer palace, with
its halls and chapel decorated by Dossi, its stately
terraces and stairs leading down to the river, and
delicious gardens planted with orange groves and
box hedges, and adorned with marble loggias and
fountains, had been lately written by the Ferrarese

^ Fontana, Renaia di Francia, i. 64, &a

288 FfiTES AT FERRARA

poet, Bordoni, and dedicated to the Marchesa Isa-
bella.^ After spending the night in this enchanted
spot, the royal bride sailed down the Po to Ferrara
in the ducal bucentaur, and was received at the
Porta S. Paola by Ercole's brother Ippolito, Arch-
bishop of Milan, the ambassadors of France, Venice,
and Mantua, and all the clergy and doctors of
Ferrara, who escorted her through the Strada Grande
to the Duomo. The streets were hung with red,
green, and white draperies ; and a hundred pages
in black satin livery, with rose-coloured caps and
stockings, preceded by the Spanish court jester,
Diego, riding on a dromedary, led the way. The
bride followed, borne in a crimson litter under a
golden baldacchino, and attended by Madame de
Soubise on horseback, and fourteen French ladies
in a chariot. The plague had lately ravaged Ferrara,
and the chronicler's description of the misery of its
inhabitants forms a melancholy contrast to the splen-
dour of the bridal procession. " The streets were
deserted and the shops closed. Every day dead
corpses were found at the doors of the churches,
and people might be heard in the streets crying,
' I die of hunger,' with no one reUeving them."
But a decree had been issued commanding all good
subjects to put off their mourning and appear in gay
attire to welcome their young Duchess, and the loyal
Ferrarese, who loved a pageant dearly, thronged
the streets and Piazza of the Duomo, where the
bride alighted, and received the benediction of the
Archbishop and the keys of the city, which, by
the Duke's orders, were presented to his daughter-
in-law in a silver bowl.

^ Gruyer, op. cit., ii. 137.

ISABELLA RECEIVES THE BRIDE 289

The Marchesa Isabella was awaiting the bride at
the foot of the grand marble staircase of the Este
palace, and led her by the hand into the Sala
Grande, which was hung with priceless gold and
silken tapestries. Here the ambassadors presented
her with presents of brocades and velvet and dam-
ask, and the chief citizens brought oxen and calves,
cheeses, and capons for her acceptance. Ren^e
wore her wedding robe of gold brocade, with a
necklace of enormous pearls and a gold crown on
her head, which, in the opinion of Luigi Gonzaga,
the Mantuan ambassador, to whom we owe these
details, was out of place, since Ercole's bride was,
after all, not a queen, but only the daughter of a
king ! Her appearance also gave rise to some debate
among the courtiers. She was short and awkward,
and her figure was slightly deformed, which made
the ladies of Ferrara, who remembered the beauty
of Anna Sforza and the sweet face and golden hair
of Lucrezia Borgia, declare that the new Duchess
was very unlike these lamented ladies, being small,
ugly, and hunchbacked. Her health was delicate,
and she was unable to speak Italian, or to understand
what was said without the help of an interpreter.
She also showed a marked preference for French
attendants and French fashions, and Isabella's old
friend, Bernardo Tasso, was the only Italian whom
she took into her service, and employed as secretary.
Altogether, the first impression formed of the new
Duchess on her arrival at Ferrara can hardly be said
to have been a favourable one. But closer acquaint-
ance went far to remove these prejudices. Her
manners were gracious and winning, her conversa-
tion full of charm and wit; and although she was

VOL. II. T

290 RENEE PROTECTS THE REFORMERS

too French in her tastes to be popular in Ferrara,
she soon won the affection of her father-in-law.
Her genuine love of learning attracted the foremost
scholars to the ducal court. She herself presided
over an Academy which held its sittings in her rooms,
and became the patron of all the charitable institu-
tions in the city. Rende was deeply religious by
nature, and had shown her interest in the doctrines of
the reformers before she left France. Clement Marot
wrote a nuptial hymn in her honour, and spoke in
his writings of " de noble coeur de Renee de France " /
and the Geneva Protestant, Calvin, was received by
the Duchess at Ferrara in 1536. Vittoria Colonna
soon became one of her greatest friends, and brought
her friend, the Dominican friar, Bernardino Ochino,
to preach in the Duomo of Ferrara.

Isabella, herself never took any great interest
in the new doctrines that were held by so many
of her friends in Rome and Venice. No one was
further removed from bigotry, or more averse to
religious persecution. She protected the Jews in
Mantua as far as possible, issued edicts relieving
them from disabilities whenever she held the reins
of government, and was always in favour of a large
and kindly toleration. In her eyes Pomponazzi's
merits as a teacher outweighed any scruples as
to the orthodoxy of his beliefs, and she trusted
her son to him without fear. Her active mind,
centred as it was on the present, never seriously
pursued either metaphysical or theological inquiries.
She accepted the Church's teaching as she had re-
ceived it from her mother's lips, and did not trouble
herself with the inconsistency or the crimes of its
rulers. But although Isabella had little sympathy

ISABELLA'S FRIENDSHIP 291

with Renee's views on these matters, she was at-
tracted by her superior intelligence and literary
tastes, and in the difficulties which the young French
princess had to encounter from the prejudices of the
Italian courtiers, she proved her wisest and most loyal
friend.

During the week following the bride's state
entry, a series of Ariosto's comedies was performed
in the ducal theatre, and on one occasion Alfonso's
youngest son, Francesco, a boy of twelve, himself
recited the prologue. After this, Isabella returned to
spend Christmas at JNIantua with her sons, but came
back to Ferrara early in January to assist at the
Twelfth Night and Carnival festivities, which were of
unusual splendour. On the 13th, her secretary, Trida-
pale, wrote the following letter to the Marquis : —
" Last Sunday the quintain races took place, but there
was little spirit about them. Few young men ran,
and the games began late and ended early. Madama
la Duchessa, with her ladies and gentlemen and our
own, looked on from the windows and balconies of
these rooms, but 3Iadama mia lUustrissima pre-
ferred to remain by the fire talking to the gentle-
men who came to visit Her Excellency. To-night
there was dancing both before and after supper till
eleven o'clock ; but the small size of the room and
the immense number of people assembled made the
Jest a more tiresome than enjoyable, and there was
great confusion among the dancers. The Duke had
ordered the ' Mensechmi ' to be given in the French
tongue on Sunday ; but, for what cause I know not,
this has been put off till next week." ' But the most
sumptuous of all the fetes on this occasion was the

^ D'Ancona, Teatro, ii. 430,

292 BANQUET TN THE CASTELLO

banquet given by the young Duke Ercole in the
great hall of the Castello on the 24th of January,^
an entertainment so memorable even in the annals
of this gay court that it was made the subject of a
volume published twenty years later by the Duke's
seneschal, Messibugo, and still preserved in the
Bibliotheque Nationale. More than a hundred guests
met that evening in the magnificent halls of the
Castello, lined with marble and alabaster of glittering
whiteness and painted by the hand of Titian and
Dossi. The brilliantly-lighted table, fifty-five braccie
long, was adorned with twenty-five figures of the
gods of Olympus in gilt and coloured sugar, designed
by the best artists in Ferrara, under the direction of
Messibugo, who on this occasion surpassed himself in
skill and ingenuity. Chief among them was a group
of Hercules strangling the lion, in honour of the
bridegroom, Ercole d'Este. Half-way through the
banquet a second series of similar figures was placed
on the table, with a group of Hercules grappling
with the hydra as centre-piece. This was succeeded
by a third array, in which Hercules taming the
Minotaur was the principal object. Each course
was heralded by a troop of musicians, playing the
flute, viol, cornet, lyre, and harp, and singing
madrigals and rondeaux, under the direction of
Alfonso di Viola, the conductor of the orchestra of
the Duomo, while sweet organ melodies were heard
in the distance. At the conclusion of the banquet
attar of roses and other choice perfumes were handed
to the guests in delicately-wrought bowls, and silk
and gold flowers of exquisite form and colour were
presented to the ladies. Last of all, a great golden

^ Gruyer, op. cit. ii. 5^5.

PAIX DES DAMES 298

pasty was placed in the centre of the board, and when
the Hd was removed a quantity of necklaces, brace-
lets, eaiTings, and brooches were brought to light.
The guests drew lots for these jewels, some of which
were worth as much as fifty ducats a piece, amid
great mirth and laughter, after which Ariosto's
Cassaria was performed in another hall under the
poet's own direction. The entertainment closed with
a ball, which was kept up till daybreak ; but Isabella,
we learn, prudently retired at midnight.

Hardly had the sound of wedding festivities
died away, than events took place which altered
Alfonso's whole pohcy. The disastrous result of
the French invasion of Naples, and the death of
Lautrec, who was carried off by the plague, together
with the flower of his army, proved fatal to Francis
the First's ambitious designs. The Pope now threw
himself into the Emperor's arms, and, after prolonged
negotiations, concluded the Treaty of Barcelona on
the 29th of June 1529. By this agreement the pontiff
was to recover possession of his lost dominions, in-
cluding Modena and Reggio, to which he still laid
claim, and Clement's kinsman, Alessandro, the son of
the dead Lorenzo, was to be reinstated in Florence,
which had shaken off the yoke of the Medici im-
mediately after the capture of Rome. The defeat of
St. Pol's army in Lombardy by Leyva destroyed
Francis the First's last hopes, and in August a treaty
was signed at Cambray by the Emperor's aunt,
Margaret of Austria, and the King of France's
mother, Louise de Savoie. By this agreement,
Charles V. remained in undisturbed possession of
Naples and Lombardy, and Francis I. sacrificed his
allies of Florence and Ferrara to the Pope's vengeance.

294 CHARLES V. IN ITALY

The triumph of Charles was complete, and on
the 12th of August he landed at Genoa, and for the
first time set foot in Italy. It had long been his wish
to receive the imperial crown in Rome, but the
horrors of the siege were still fresh in the minds of all,
and Bologna was eventually chosen as the meeting-
place between the Pope and Emperor-elect. Cardinal
Ercole Gonzaga was sent by the Pope to meet
Charles at Genoa, together with the two young
Medici princes, Alessandro, who was soon to receive
the title of Duke of Florence, and Giuliano's son,
Ippolito, who at the age of eighteen had already
been created a cardinal. The Emperor announced
his intention of visiting his good friend, the Marquis
of Mantua, on the way to Bologna, and both Federico
and his mother made great preparations to receive
their illustrious guest. But before Charles started
on his journey, the Duke of Ferrara, eager to in-
gratiate himself with the all-powerful monarch,
begged him to take the shorter road through
Reggio and Modena, and placed himself and his
subjects unreservedly at His Majesty's disposal.
Alfonso himself rode out to meet Charles near Reggio,
and pleaded his cause with so much eloquence
that the Emperor not only accepted his invita-
tion, but spent several days in his company. The
Duke entertained him splendidly both at Reggio
and Modena, and finally escorted him to the border
of his territories on his way to Bologna. Meanwhile
Isabella, realising all the importance of the occasion,
and feeling how great were the issues at stake, de-
cided to visit Bologna herself and meet the supreme
heads of the spiritual and temporal world. The
Emperor was known to look with especial favour

FERRANTE BEFORE FLORENCE 295

on the house of Gonzaga, and had shown himself
graciously disposed both to the Marquis and Cardinal
Ercole, while their brother Ferrante, and cousin,
Luigi Rodomonte, were among the most valiant
captains in his service. Ferrante, in fact, was at
this moment marching against Florence, as lieutenant
to the Prince of Orange, at the head of an Imperial
army, which was to besiege the doomed city and
crush her last hopes of freedom.

On the 18th of September this young prince wrote
the following letter to his mother from the Imperial
camp at Castiglione di Arezzo ^ : —

"Most illustrious Lady and dearest Mother, —
Although only four days have passed since I wrote
to Your Excellency in reply to the letter which you
sent me by Messer Salviati da Gubbio, I must tell you
of my well-being and of the splendid success of this
invincible army. We have lately obtained possession
of Cortona, one of the strongest cities of the Floren-
tine Republic, after besieging it during three days
and destroying a great portion of the walls. Last
night the garrison surrendered at discretion, the
Prince of Orange refusing to grant any conditions
excepting security of life and property to the citizens.
The soldiers gave up their arms, after which they
were set free, and the city was placed under com-
missioners appointed by His Holiness. To-night we
are at Castiglione, and were intending to attack
Arezzo to-morrow, but hear that it has surren-
dered and been abandoned by its garrison, so we
shall march straight against Florence. If Your
Excellency wishes to know the strength of our forces,
we have 9000 Italian foot, 4000 German, and 2000
1 D'Arco, op. cit. 297.

296 ISABELLA'S FIEF OF SOLAROLO

Spanish infantry, 40 lances, and 650 liglit horse, all
of thern picked men, eager for battle. And now,
from my heart, I commend myself to Your Ex-
cellency, whose most gracious person may God
preserve and prosper in all her ways I — Your son,
Ferrante. From the camp of the most fortunate
Caesarean army, near Castiglione Aretino."

So with a light heart and high courage the young
soldier led his forces against the ancient stronghold
of Italian liberties, while on the bulwarks of San
Miniato, Michelangelo was repairing the bastions to
defend Florence in her last struggle.

When this letter reached Mantua, Isabella was
preparing to start on her journey, but on the way
to Bologna she paid a visit to a Httle town some
miles farther south, which had lately acquired a new
interest in her eyes. This was Solarolo, a small fief
near Imola, which Leo X. had bestowed in 1514
upon Cardinal Sigismondo Gonzaga, in gratitude for
his support at the time of his election, and which,
after that prelate's death in 1525, Isabella bought for
a small sum of money. The Marchesa now for the
first time paid a visit to her new subjects, in whose
welfare she took the deepest interest, and whose city
she adorned with many fine buildings, during the
last years of her hfe.^ After a sojourn of some weeks
in this pleasant little town, Isabella proceeded to
Bologna, accompanied by a brilhant suite, and in the
last days of November entered the city in state. '^

^ Renier in Italia, 1888, p. 16. The writer of this article there
infoiined us that he had in his possession documents regarding this
interesting episode in Isabella's life, which he reserved for future
publication, but which have not yet appeared.

2 M. Sanuto, Diarii, lii. 144.

CONGRESS OF BOLOGNA 297

The beauty of the maidens in her train, and the
splendour of her chariots and Hveries, made a great
impression on the crowds that were already assembled
to witness the solemn meeting and public reconcilia-
tion between the Pope and the monarch whose army
had sacked Rome. Isabella alighted at the Palazzo
Manzola on the Piazza di San Donato, close to
S. Giacomo Maggiore, the favourite church of the
BentivogU, and the chapel which held Francia and
Costa's frescoes of St. Ceciha, not far from the
ancient leaning towers of Garisenda and Asinelli
sung by Dante in his Inferno.

Here she spent the next four months, suiTounded
by her family and friends, and witnessed the memor-
able scenes which took place at Bologna in the course
of that winter. The Pope arrived in the same week,
after paying a visit to his old friend the Knight of
S. John, Sabba da Castiglione, in his quiet retreat at
the house of his order, near Faenza. He entered
Bologna in state, wearing the triple tiara, and borne
on the Sedia gestatona, with sixteen Cardinals in his
train, but it was noticed how few acclamations greeted
his coming, and scarcely a voice joined in the cry —
Viva Papa Clement e! Charles V., on the contrary,
received an enthusiastic welcome from the people,
when, on the 5th of November, after sleeping at the
convent of the Certosa outside the walls, he made his
triumphal entry into the town. Isabella witnessed
the solemn meeting between the Pope and monarch
from a balcony opposite San Petronio, and on the
next day wrote the following graphic account of the
scene to her niece, Ren^e de France : —

" Dearest and most Illustrious Lady, — Yesterday
His Csesarean Majesty came from Castelfranco Bolog-

298 ISABELLA DESCRIBES

nese to the Certosa, one mile from Bologna, and was
first of all received by the Governor (Uberto Gam-
bara) and his troops, and then by all those most
reverend Cardinals, who had gone out to meet His
Majesty with an infinite number of gentlemen. His
Majesty spent the night at the Certosa with part of
his suite, and those who could not find accommodation
were lodged in Bologna, as well as the Monsignori who
went out to salute him. To-day the entry into Bologna
took place about two o'clock, in the following order.
First of all came three companies of light horse bear-
ing lances, all very well armed and mounted. Between
them were the artillery and engineers, then fourteen
companies of infantry, partly armed with cross-bows,
and the rest with pikes and halberds — all very fine-
looking men and well armed. In the midst of them
was Signor Antonio de Leyva, unarmed, and carried
in a chair by his servants, because he is crippled with
gout, and truly there was in him — borne as he was by
others — no less vigour and majesty than if he had
been in the best of health and armed from head to
foot. Behind these companies came the Burgundian
horse, all clad in white armour, with velvet
doublets of yellow, red, and green. After them
rode another splendid company of light horse, armed
with lances, and wearing cloth doublets of the same
colours, and each Burgundian was followed by a page
bearing his helmet and lance, mounted on a fine
charger. Then came His Majesty's gentlemen-
in- waiting ; all in full armour, and doublets and
mantles of different fashions and devices, accord-
ing to their own taste and fancy. Behind these
gentlemen came His Majesty's pages, wearing caps
of yellow velvet, with velvet suits of these three

THE ENTRY OF CHARLES V. 299

colours, yellow, grey, and purple, and they rode
beautiful and graceful horses, jennets as well as
others, all richly draped and harnessed.

"At this moment His HoUness descended from
his palace, borne in his chair, in full pontifical robes,
and surrounded by his chamberlains and gentlemen
of the bedchamber. The Ambassadors and all the
most reverend Cardinals went on foot before him,
walking two and two at a time, followed by infinite
numbers of bishops and clergy, and mounted a wooden
tribunal which had been erected on the steps in front
of the church of San Petronio, draped with white
cloth. The floor under the feet of His Holiness and
the Cardinals was covered with red cloth, and the
other portions occupied by less exalted personages were
draped with different coloured carpets. On the oppo-
site side of the Piazza came the royal procession, led by
His Majesty's guards, all of them fine-looking men,
wearing the same liveries as the court pages. Close be-
hind them were Caesar's greatest and favourite courtiers
on horseback, all armed, and wearing the richest
doublets and mantles, which made a most beautiful
and splendid show. Behind them, under a canopy of
cloth of gold, borne by the chief citizens of Bologna,
appeared His Cassarean Majesty with one of his
nobles — the Grand Marshal Don Alvarez, Marquis
Astorga — bearing his drawn sword aloft before him.
His Majesty rode a most beautiful white jennet, and
wore a doublet and vest of gold brocade, and was in
full armour, only his right arm and breast being un-
covered. At his stirrup walked forty young nobles
of Bologna in white satin doublets, lined and slashed
with gold brocade, with white velvet caps and plumes
and rose-coloured hose, who met him at the gate by

300 MEETING WITH THE POPE

which His Majesty entered, .ind accompanied him
on foot through the streets.

" When he reached the steps of San Petronio,
His Majesty alighted and presented himself be-
fore His Holiness, who stood up to receive him,
and after he had kissed his foot, hand, and lips, he
was very tenderly embraced by the Holy Father, who
made him take a seat on his right hand. The words
which His Majesty said to His Holiness were these :
* Padre sancto, soy venido a besar los pi^s de Vuestra
Santitad, lo que es mucho tempo lo deseava, ayora
lo compido co I'obra ; suplico a Dios que sea en su
servicio y de V.S.' ' Holy Father, I have come to kiss
the feet of Your Holiness, an act which I have long
wished to do, and am at length allowed to accomplish,
and I pray God that this may be for the glory of
His service and of that of Your Holiness.' And
these words were spoken by His Holiness in reply :
'We thank God who has brought us to this day
which we have so long desired to see, and hope that
Your Majesty may be the means of gaining great
things for the service of God and the good of Chris-
tendom.' After this His Majesty rose to his feet
and offered His Holiness a purse filled with gold
pieces, among which were two of 100 ducats and
a great many others, making in all a sum of 1000
ducats. Then all those who were with His Majesty
9n the tribunal kissed the feet of His HoHness the
Pope. So they spent some time together, but had
little opportunity for any private conversation. After
that, they descended the steps, and Ceesar offered to
conduct His HoUness back to the palace, but was
induced by His Holiness to remain behind, and he
entered San Petronio with four of the Cardinals,

CONFERENCES IN BOLOGNA 301

Cesarini, Ravenna, Naples, and Ridolfi, who remained
in attendance on His Majesty. His Holiness then
returned to his rooms borne in his chair, and accom-
panied by the other Monsignori on foot. And while
the Emperor alighted and knelt before the Pope, and
entered San Petronio, the procession of his guards
continued to advance, chiefly light horse and infantry
with a great number of guns. And when he had
offered thanks to our Lord God and performed the
usual ceremonies, he walked, still on foot, between
the Cardinals to the Palace, where his lodgings are
prepared. I hear from those who have seen them,
that they are so near those of His Holiness, that only
a single wall divides one room from the other.

"This spectacle, Madama mia, seemed to me so
splendid that I confess I have never before seen, and
can never expect to see again, anything at all equal
to it. And if I had tried to describe all its details
to Your Excellency, I should have given you too
much to read ; but this I must tell you, that through
all the streets where His Majesty passed, gold and
silver coins were thrown to the people in token of
rejoicing and princely liberality. It remains to us
to implore God that the conference held by these
two great lords who have met together here may
produce those good results which we all desire, and
lead to the restoration of universal peace in Christen-
dom. I believe that Your Illustrious Highness will
be informed of all these events, with perhaps even
greater fulness, by your ambassador. None the less,
to satisfy the request which was made to me a few
days ago by one of your gentlemen here, I have
tried to give you this account by letter." ^

i D'Arco, op. cii.

302 THE EMPEROR

The sight which Isabella had that day witnessed
might well rouse her enthusiasm. There were many
notable figures in the great procession that slowly
wound its way through the ancient streets of Bologna.
Close to the monarch's person rode the grandees
of Spain, with their haughty bearing and gorgeous
clothes, and chief among them the mighty soldier
Leyva, under whose iron rule Milan groaned, borne
high in his purple velvet litter on the shoulders of his
servants. Cardinal Campeggio, the legate, was there,
newly arrived from England, where he had been
considering the vexed question of King Heniy the
Eighth's divorce; and Ippolito dei Medici, the
youngest member of the Sacred College, whose
strikingly handsome face and dark eyes are familiar
to us from Titians portrait, and must have
reminded Isabella of his father, her old friend
Giuliano. There was the aged Admiral Andrea
Doria and the boy Marquis, Bonifazio of Monferrato,
the last heir of that illustrious race of Paleologhi
who had once reigned as Emperors in Constantinople.
And there, too, were the German princes : the Count
of Nassau, a magnificent-looking man, clad from
head to foot in cloth of gold, Albert von Branden-
burg, who claimed kinship with the Gonzagas, ahd
the Count Palatine of the Rhine. But the most
remarkable figure in all that splendid train, the
one on whom all eyes were fixed that day, was
Csesar himself, this young monarch of twenty-nine,
on whose dominions the sun never set, and who held
the fate of Italy in the hollow of his hand. The spec-
tators were deeply impressed with the lofty air and
majestic bearing, the fair locks and beard and fine blue
eyes of the young Emperor, and admired the stately

AND HIS COURT 303

courtesy with which he doffed his black velvet cap to
the ladies on the balconies and at the windows along
the route. Isabella, who alone among them all had
been present at the siege and sack of Rome, must have
watched the meeting between Pope and Emperor
with strangely-mingled feelings. The Pope, it was
noticed, turned pale when Charles knelt before him,
and the tears streamed down his cheeks as he bent
down to salute the monarch. And when the Em-
peror inquired after his health, Clement replied that
he had felt distinctly better since he left Rome — a
remark which made some of the Spanish courtiers
smile. But these sad days were over, and Cardinals
and princes looked forward, like Isabella, with high
hopes to the conferences that were to close the long
tale of warfare and misery, and bring back peace and
prosperity to distracted Italy.

CHAPTER XXXIX

1529—1530

Illustrious visitors to Bologna — Veronica Gambara and the human-
ists — Isabella's political objects — Ferrante Gonzaga seeks the
hand of Isabella Colonna, who is already wedded to Luigi
Rodomonte — Favour shown to the Marquis of Mantua —
Francesco Sforza receives the investiture of Milan — Proclama-
tion of universal peace — Florence alone excluded from the
League — Fetes and balls at Christmas and Carnival — Charles
V. receives the iron crown of Lombardy and the golden crown
of the Holy Roman Empire from the Pope's hands — Coronation
in San Petronio — The Duke of Ferrara comes to Bologna, and
is reconciled to the Pope.

During the next four months, all the most illustrious
personages in Italy met at Bologna to assist at the
Emperor's coronation or to pay him homage. When
Isabella d'Este arrived, she found Veronica Gambara
living in the Palazzo JNIarsilio with her brother
Uberto, the Governor of Bologna, while her other
brother, Brunoro, the Imperial Chamberlain, arrived
with Charles V. The Emperor himself honoured
this distinguished lady with frequent visits, and her
house became the meeting-place of all the humanists
and poets who met in Bologna that winter. Conta-
rini was there already as Venetian ambassador, and
in December, Bembo arrived from Padua. Trissino,
now high in the favour of Clement VII., accompanied
him from Rome, and had the honour of bearing his
train at the coronation ; while the historians, Paolo
Giovio and the Florentine Guicciardini, were both in

S04

HUMANISTS AT BOLOGNA 305

attendance on His Holiness. The former availed
himself of the Marchesa's presence to beg a favour
of her, as we learn from the following letter which
Isabella addressed to the Castellan, Gian Giacomo
Calandra : —

"Zovan Jacopo, — Monsignor Paolo Jovio, being
anxious to print some of his Dialogues, has begged
us to help him in this laudable enterprise by giving
him 70 reams of a kind of paper that is made in
Mantua, as the messenger sent by him will explain.
And we, who love Messer Paolo greatly for his
excellent learning, would gladly do him this service.
Accordingly we beg you to execute this commission
for us, knowing how wiUingly you will take part in so
honourable an undertaking, and ask you to see that
the paper shall be given to his messenger. You
can tell the papermakers that the cost of this paper
will be defrayed as soon as I return to Mantua.
If they make difficulties, give them 2 ducats a week,
so that they may be completely satisfied, and our
steward will provide the money. Messer Paolo asks
to be allowed to bring this paper here from Mantua
without payment of customs or any other tax, but I
do not know if this can be managed, since all the
taxes are already allotted.' Bologna, Nov. 21, 1529.

Meanwhile, Isabella's devoted servant, Gian-
francesco Valier, arrived from Venice with her son
Ercole's friends, the poets Antonio Broccardo and
Molza, who still addressed sonnets to the fair Camilla
Gonzaga, now the wife of Count Alessandro di Porto
of Vicenza, and Angelo Colocci, the beloved com-
panion of Bembo's Roman days.^ Once more the
Marchesa welcomed these old friends under her roof,

^ V, Cian, Un Decefinio, &c., p. 148.
VOL. II. U

806 THE QUEEN OF NAPLES

and renewed the pleasant meetings and literary discus-
sions which she had held in Rome, and sighed with
them over the ruin of the Eternal City.

But Isabella had graver cares than these to fill her
time and thoughts. There were many important poli-
tical questions to be settled by the Pope and Emperor
in the private conferences which they held daily, and
most of these concerned Isabella closely. Next in
importance to the interests of her son Federico, were
the affairs of Ferrara and Milan. There was the
quarrel of her brother Alfonso with the Pope to be
made up ; and, although this clever prince had lost
no opportunity of paying court to the Emperor, and
kept his table supplied with game and venison,
Clement was still implacable, and would not allow
the Duke to enter Bologna. And there was the
pardon of her unfortunate nephew to be obtained
from the Emperor, who had not forgiven Francesco
Sforza for taking up arms against him, and threatened
to deprive him of his State. The Pope, however,
espoused this unlucky prince's cause warmly, and
before many days a message was sent to the Duke
of Milan desiring his presence at Bologna.^

Charles now proclaimed that he meant to restore
peace to Italy, and invited all those who had griev-
ances or complaints to come and obtain redress for
their wrongs. First among those who responded to
this invitation was the exiled Queen of Naples, Isa-
bella del Balzo, the widow of Frederic II., and last
representative of the proud line of Altamura. She

^ Giordano, Delia venrtta e dimora in Bologna del Sommo Pont.
Clemente VII. per la Coronazione di Carlo V., 1 5.^0. All the details
of the ceremony here given are supplied in this writer's carefully-
compiled chronicle.

ISABELLA COLONNA'S MARRIAGE 307

came from Ferrara, where she was hving in great
poverty, and, throwing herself at the Emperor's feet,
begged him to have pity upon her two daughters.
Charles received the widowed Queen with the courtesy
due to her rank and misfortunes, and not only com-
forted her with promises of liberal help, but, before
he left Italy, arranged a marriage between her elder
daughter, the Infanta Giulia, and the Marquis Fede-
rico Gonzaga. Every day now brought fresh arrivals,
and the picturesque streets of Bologna were thronged
with gay cavalcades. On the 13th of November, the
Prince of Orange arrived from the camp before
Florence, to inform the Emperor of the determined
resistance which the Republic offered, and ask for
orders how to proceed. With him came Ferrante
Gonzaga, bent on business of his own.^ It was his
intention to ask the Emperor for the hand of the
great heiress, Isabella Colonna, whose father, Ves-
pasiano, had died only two years after his marriage
to GiuUa Gonzaga, leaving his only child betrothed
to the Pope's kinsman, Ippolito dei Medici. But the
intended bridegroom soon abandoned his suit, having
fallen in love with his affianced wife's beautiful step-
mother Giuha, and before long his elevation to the
Cardinalate put an end to his matrimonial schemes.
Ferrante felt that this was a good opportunity to
secure the hand of the rich heiress, and relied on
the Emperor's marked favour and his mother's
influence to obtain his wish. But he was too late
in the field. After Vespasiano Colonna's death in
March 1528, the Orsini took advantage of the general
confusion in Rome and ApuUa to seize his daughter's
estates, and wage a desperate war against the Colonna

1 Giordano, op, cit.

308 TO I.ITIGI RODOMONTE

followers. Upon this, the Pope sent Giulia Gon-
zaga's own brother, Tjiiigi Rodomonte, the gallant
young captain who had protected him in his
flight to Orvieto, to the help of these distressed
ladies. After a hard-fought campaign, this brave
knight succeeded in defeating the foe and re-
covering the castle of Palliano for the Colonnas.
Antonia del Balzo's grandson was not only a man
of great strength and stature, who could break ropes
and horse-shoes in his hands, but a cultured and
charming prince, a poet himself and the friend of
poets. ^ The heiress promptly fell in love with this
Paladin of romance who had come to her rescue, and,
before the hero left Palliano, he was secretly married
to Isabella Colonna. Fearing the Pope's anger,
Giulia Gonzaga and her brother decided to keep the
marriage secret, and Luigi returned to his post and
marched against Florence with the Imperial army.
But when he heard that his cousin Ferrante had
asked for the hand of the heiress, he hastened to
Bologna and produced his marriage contract as the
best proof that Isabella was already his wife. After
this there was nothing more to be said. The Pope
and Emperor both declared the marriage to be valid,
the hero received the congratulations of his friends,
and, when the campaign against Florence was ended,
he returned in triumph to Palliano and claimed his
bride. Ferrante soon afterwards consoled himself
with another wealthy Neapolitan heiress, Isabella of
Capua, daughter of the Duca di Tremoli, whom he
married in April 1531.^

On the 20th of November, the Marquis of

^ AfF6, Fita di Luigi Rodomonte, pp. 45, &c.

^ Litta, Famiglie, Tavola xiv. ; M. Sauuto, Diarii, liv. 385,

THE MARQUIS OF MANTUA 309

Mantua himself entered Bologna with a splendid
train of courtiers, and proceeded straight to the
Palazzo Manzoli, where he was welcomed affection-
ately by his mother. The Pope's household rode out
to meet him, and the Emperor honoured Federico
with marks of especial favour, and invited him
to occupy rooms close to his own. Before long,
Charles V. graciously informed the Marchesa of
his intention to raise her son to the rank of Duke,
and further intimated his wilUngness to visit her
at JNIantua on his return to Germany. Isabella's
highest ambition was thus gratified, and on the 15th
of December, Federico left Bologna to make pre-
parations for the fitting reception of his august
guest. ^

Both Federico and his mother exerted all their
influence with the Emperor on behalf of Fran-
cesco Sforza. This prince had never recovered
from the dangerous wound which he had received
from the conspirator, Bonifazio Visconti, six years
before. He could only travel in a litter, and when
he reached Bologna on the 22nd of November,
he was stiU so weak that he could not stand in the
Emperor's presence. But Charles received him
kindly, and it was noticed by the Duke's friends,
as a good omen, that he spoke to him in Ger-
man, a language which his enemy, Leyva, could
not understand, and looked at Francesco with
a smile, while the grim Spanish general stood
sullenly by. After prolonged conferences, the Duke
finally received the investiture of INIilan, on pay-
ment of an enormous tribute, which his unhappy
subjects, already ruined by war and famine, were

* M. Sanuto, op. cit., lii. 376.

310 THE DUKE OF MILAN PARDONED

utterly unable to raise, and T^eyva was granted the
city of Pavia for his life. The Venetian envoy,
Contarini, was next admitted to the Emperor's
presence, and terms of peace between the Signoiy
and the Pope were arranged. On Christmas Eve
a treaty drawn up by the Imperial Chancellor,
Cardinal Gattinara, was signed by the Pope, the
Emperor, Venice, Milan, Mantua, Savoy, and Mon-
ferrato. The Duke of Ferrara's name was inserted
in the treaty by the Emperor's express wish, but
the final settlement of his quarrel with the Pope
was deferred to a future date. Only Florence was
excluded from the League, and the unfortunate
deputies who had been sent to plead her cause
were not even allowed to enter the Emperor's pres-
ence.

"Now indeed," exclaimed Cardinal Pucci, "we
can sing the Gloria with the angels, since peace and
goodwill are restored to men."

The Emperor attended midnight mass in the
papal chapel, and received the Sword with the Dove
of the Holy Spirit which the Pope had blessed, and
himself chanted the first words of the Gospel, " In
that time an edict went forth from Augustus that
all the world should be taxed." Isabella d'Este
and all the illustrious guests who were by this time
assembled in Bologna, were present at the solemn
mass at San Petronio on Christmas Day, when the
Pope was the celebrant, and gave the Emperor the
kiss of peace. On the last day of the year, the
papal bull proclaiming a general peace was pubUcly
read from the steps of the Palazzo Pubblico, and
a solemn Te Deum was chanted, after which the
Duke of Milan and all the great feudatories of the

PROCLAMATION OF PEACE 311

Emperor and the Church, succeeded by the foreign
ambassadors and princes, kissed the Pope's feet.^

On the 18th of January, the Emperor received
a deputation from the University of Bologna, and
conferred the title of Mother of Universities, together
with many new privileges, on this ancient founda-
tion. On the same day the poet, Girolamo di Casio,
Isabella's old friend, received the laurel crown from
the hands of the Emperor and the Pope. On the
25th, a magnificent embassy of Venetian senators,
clad in trailing robes of black velvet and gold togas,
and wearing massive gold chains, amved in Bologna,
and rode through the city followed by youths bearing
large bowls filled with golden crowns which they pre-
sented to the Emperor, who received them in great
state seated on his throne in the Sala Grande. From
Christmas till the end of the carnival, a series of ban-
quets, jousts, masquerades, and balls were given
by the Marchesa Isabella, Veronica Gambara, and
other august persons. Charles himself was often
present on these occasions, and spoke graciously to
the illustrious guests, and won golden opinions by
his courtesy to all the ladies present.

Unfortunately these festive gatherings did not
always tend to peace. As before at Milan, the
Spanish and Italian cavaliers quarrelled over the
bright eyes of Isabella's maids-of-honour, and more
than once their revelries ended in bloodshed. The
Spanish nobles were also very ready to quarrel
with the German lords, and on the last day of
the year, when peace was pubUcly proclaimed in
San Petronio, Alfonso d'Avalos, the proud young
Marchese del Vasto, caught sight of a simply clad

^ Giordano, ap. cit.

812 CHARLES V.'S POPULARITY

man standing near him and pushed him violently
away. He was told to his surprise tliat this was a
German prince, a brother of the Duke of Wiirtem-
berg, upon which he declined to apologise, saying
that a nobleman of his rank ought to know better
than to appear at court in such mean attire.^ The
haughty airs of these Castilian grandees and the
readiness of their servants to take offence constantly
led to brawls with the citizens of Bologna, while
the German landsknechte plundered the shops, and
one evening a troop of Lutheran soldiers threw
down a statue of Pope Clement and burnt the
head on their camp fire. But Charles V. and his
chief captains did their utmost to restrain these
excesses, and the Emperor himself set an ex-
ample of courtesy and kindly toleration to all. His
simple habits and refined tastes quickly won the
hearts of the few Italian princes who were admitted
to his intimacy. He generally devoted the morn-
ings to private conferences with the Pope or his
Chancellor, but spent the afternoons in visiting the
oldest and most interesting churches in the city, and
examining the frescoes and paintings with which they
were adorned. As a rule, he took these expeditions
on foot, clad in his plain suit and cap of black velvet,
and attended only by a few courtiers. Sometimes
he was accompanied by the Marquis of Mantua, and
more often by his favourite, Alfonso d'Avalos,
Marquis del Vasto, the cousin of Vittoria Colonna's
dead husband. On fine days the Emperor would
ride out to S. Michele in Bosco, or other points of
interest in the neighbourhood, and admire the fine
views from the hills round Bologna.

1 Reumont, Rom., p. 246.

HE RECEIVES THE IRON CROWN 313

At length all the preparations for the great
ceremony of the double Coronation were complete,
and on the 22nd of February, Charles V. received
the iron crown, which had been sent from Monza by
order of the Duke of Milan, from the Pope's hands.
A Flemish Cardinal, Wilhelm Enckefort, the friend
and companion of Adrian VI., who had paid 40,000
crowns for his ransom in the sack of Rome, and still
wore his beard long in sign of mourning, anointed
the monarch, and administered the communion to
him on this occasion, while the Spanish Grand
Marshal Astorga bore the royal sceptre, and the
Marquis of Monferrato presented the u'on crown to
the Pope. That afternoon the Duke and Duchess
of Urbino entered Bologna in state. Francesco
Maria had led the armies of the League against the
Emperor for several years, but as Captain-General
of the Venetians and of the Church, he was now
received with the highest honours. Both the
Pope and Emperor sent their households to meet
him, and all the illustrious visitors assembled to
greet the Duke and Duchess. No General had made
greater blunders or been more unfortunate in his
campaigns. But on this occasion his martial air,
and that of the captains who rode beside him, as
well as the remarkable beauty of Leonora, excited
general admiration.

On the 23rd, the Emperor's brother-in-law, Charles,
Duke of Savoy, arrived, as well as the King of Hun-
gary's ambassador, the Bishop of Trent, accompanied
by a suite of Hungarian nobles, whose blazing jewels
and costumes of barbaric splendour attracted much
attention.^

1 Giordano, op. cit.

314 CORONATION OF THE EMPEROR

The Feast of St. Matthias, being the Emperor's
birthday and the anniversary of the victory of Pavia,
had been chosen for the great function. The morn-
ing broke clear and bright after a night of heavy rain,
and all the bells in Bologna rang joyous peals from
early dawn. One of the first to be up and stirring
was Antonio de Leyva, who ordered his servants to
carry him in a litter to the Piazza in front of San
Petronio, and himself superintended the disposal of
the Italian, Spanish, and German guards who were
to line the streets. The artillery was drawn up in
the square, and the guards at the city gate were
doubled. A wooden bridge was erected between the
Palazzo and the church, hung with sky-blue draperies
and wreathed with garlands of flowers, of myrtle and
laurel boughs, and a double file of tall Burgundian
soldiers, the flower of the German army, guarded this
gallery, along which the Pope and Emperor passed
into San Petronio. First came the doctors of the
University, in their fur collars and gold chains, and
the rector in his purple robes. Then the archbishops
and bishops, wearing their mitres and violet copes,
and the cardinals in scarlet, preceding the Pope, who
was borne on the Sedia gestatoria, hung with cloth
of gold, by the Papal grooms in red liveries. His
Holiness wore the triple tiara, and his golden cope
was fastened by a marvellous jewel with a representa-
tion of God the Father in glory, engraved by Ben-
venuto Cellini, and containing the famous diamond
worn by Charles the Bold at Nancy, and afterwards
the property of Lodovico Sforza and Pope JuUus 11.^

Then a mighty flourish of trumpets announced
the coming of Caesar. Before him came heralds

1 B. Cellini, Trattato, p. 50.

IN SAN PETRONIO 315

from all parts of his vast dominions, from Naples
and Sicily, Austria and Burgundy, Spain and Navarre,
and ambassadors from France, England, Scotland,
Hungary, Bohemia, Poland, Portugal, and the dif-
ferent states of Italy. Four great officers of state
foUowed — the young Marquis of Monferrato clad in
scarlet velvet robes trimmed with ermine, bore the royal
sceptre ; Philip, Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine,
robed in purple, carried the orb of the world ; the Duke
of Urbino, wearing crimson satin robes and peaked
ermine cap, held the sword of state as Prefect of
Rome. Last of all, the Duke of Savoy, as Vicar of
the Empire, clad in a magnificent robe of purple,
embroidered with gold and silver, and glittering with
jewels, bore the Imperial diadem on a golden cushion.
After these, escorted by a chosen suite of Spanish
grandees and Neapolitan nobles, among whom the
Grand Marshal Astorga and the Viceroy of Naples,
Don Pedro de Toledo, were conspicuous, came the
Emperor-elect, wearing a flowing mantle of gold
brocade over his Imperial robes, and the iron crown
of Lombardy on his head. The procession was
delayed for some minutes by a violent quaiTel for
precedence between the Genoese and Sienese ambas-
sadors, who " from high words passed to blows and
cuffs," and just as the Emperor set foot in the church,
the wooden bridge collapsed with a sudden crash.
Great alarm was excited, and many of the guards
were badly shaken and bruised, but no serious injury
was done, and Charles preserved the most complete
presence of mind, " confident," writes Paolo Giovio,
*' in his own good fortune." ^

Then the imposing ceremony began. All the

^ Giordano, op. cit.

81f) BY POPE CLEMENT VII.

elaborate ritual of mediccval days was fully oy)served.
The Emperor took the oath of defender and protector
of the Church on the Book of the Gospels, was conse-
crated as a deacon, and received holy unction from
Cardinal Farnese at the high altar, after which the
Pope solemnly invested him with the Imperial in-
signia. " Accipe gladium sanctum^' were the words
pronounced when the sword was fastened to his side ;
^^ Accipe virgam" and ^^ Accipe pomumr were said as
the sceptre and orb were delivered into his hands ;
and '^Accipe signum gloiice!'' when at length the
golden diadem was placed upon his brow. The
Emperor kissed the Pope's feet and took his seat on
the throne, two steps lower than the Papal chair,
while the heralds proclaimed in a loud voice :
"Emperor of the Romans and Lord of the whole
world." '" Romanorum Imperator semper augustus^
mundi totius Dominus, universis Dominis, universis
Principibus et Populis semper venerandus.'' Then a
great shout arose from the assembled multitude,
" Vivat Carolus Imperator ! Evviva Carlo Cesare ! "
The tumult of acclamations drowned the sound of
the trumpets, and the noise of guns and bells told
the crowds assembled in the streets and on the roofs,
that the solemn act was completed, and that a Roman
Emperor had once more received the crown from the
hands of the Vicar of Christ.

The newly-crowned Csesar received communion
devoutly, and, after shaking hands with the Pope,
held the stu-rup while His Holiness mounted his grey
Barbary horse at the foot of the steps leading down
to the Piazza. Then Charles in his turn mounted
the white charger, superbly draped with pearl brocade,
which was led up by Prince Doria and the Duke

IMPERIAL BANQUET 317

of Urbino, and rode at the Pope's side under a
baldacchino, supported by the chief doctors and
nobles of Bologna. So the great procession wound
slowly through the gaily-decorated streets, while from
roofs, windows, and balconies rang the same mighty
cry: "^ Viva Carlo V.! Imperator gloriosissinius f'

On his return to the Palace, Charles retired for a
brief interval of sorely needed rest after the fatigue
of the long ceremony, and then sat down to the
banquet prepared in the Sala Grande. According to
ancient custom, the Emperor sat alone at the high
table, while the chief cardinals and princes who had
taken part in the ceremony were immediately below,
and sixty other illustrious guests were entertained in
the adjoining hall. At the end of the banquet,
Charles drank to the Pope's health, and Cardinal
Ippolito dei Medici, in the name of His Holiness,
toasted the Empress and her infant son, the Prince
of Spain. Afterwards the Emperor received the con-
gratulations of his courtiers, while his chamberlains
flung gilded and coloured confetti to the crowds on
the brilliantly - illuminated Piazza below. Several
ItaHan princes of high rank and station were, it was
remarked, absent from the ceremony. The Duke of
Milan was too ill to bear the fatigue ; Prince Ferrante
of Salerno was affronted that, although a kinsman of
the Emperor, he had not been chosen to take part
in the ceremony ; and Federico Gonzaga excused
himself from being present because he was making
preparations to receive the Emperor at Mantua.

On the 26th, an ox was roasted on the Piazza, and
the soldiers on duty were feasted at the expense
of the city of Bologna. On Sunday the 27th, the
Emperor attended high mass in state at S. Giovanni

318 BRAWLS OF SPANISH SOLDIERS

del Monte, and afterwards carefully examined Raph-
ael's St. Cecilia and the fine altar-pieces by Francia,
Costa, and Perugino, with which this church was then
adorned. The same evening he invited twenty great
ladies, among whom were Isabella d'Este, her daughter
Leonora, and Veronica Gambara, to a dance in his
rooms, and sent them all costly presents on the
following morning. During the last days of carnival
a series of brilliant fetes, masques, comedies, and balls
were held. But the citizens of Bologna could no
longer endure the daily insults which they received
from the Spanish soldiers, and Count Pepoli, deter-
mined to put an end to their insolence, took upon
himself to punish some of the most notorious offen-
ders. A serious tumult followed, in which many
lives were lost, and Antonio de Leyva complained
angrily to the Pope of the affronts offered by his
subjects to the Imperial guards. Fortunately,
Charles intervened, and wisely ordered the Spanish
troops to leave the town and encamp outside the
walls.

On the 4th of March, the octave of the Corona-
tion, the Emperor entertained all the princes and
prelates at a grand banquet, and at five o'clock that
evening rode out, attended by several of his chief
guests, to meet his sister-in-law, Beatrice of Portugal,
Duchess of Savoy. The arrival of this princess,
whose beauty and charm made her a great favourite
with the Emperor, created a marked sensation. She
rode a white horse, draped with gold brocade, wear-
ing a robe of mulberry-coloured satin, trimmed with
gold fringe, a black velvet cap with drooping white
plumes, and a pearl necklace hanging down to her
waist, while her hair was caught up by a jewelled

THE DUCHESS OF SAVOY 319

fillet. In her train came eighteen fair maids-of-
honour, riding white horses and wearing the same
black velvet caps and white feathers, and thirty
mules, with scarlet trappings, led by pages in red
liveries. The Venetian envoys were profoundly im-
pressed both by the loveliness of the young Duchess
and by the courtesy and gallantry of the Em-
peror, who himself escorted his sister-in-law to her
house.

At the same time they were much struck by
the small stature and ungainly appearance of her
husband, Duke Charles of Savoy. " She is tall and
very beautiful, and appears to be about twenty-two
years of age ; he is small and ugly, and nearer fifty
than forty." ^

The Duchess took up her abode in the Palazzo
Pepoli, close to Isabella d'Este's quarters, and during
the next fortnight her rooms became the meeting-
place of all the chief personages in Bologna. Charles
V. paid his charming sister-in-law frequent visits,
and at his request she repeatedly invited the Duke
and Duchess of Urbino to meet him. Leonora's
majestic beauty made a great impression on the
Emperor, and he visited her in the Palazzo Rossi
and held long conferences with Francesco Maria,
whose opinion on military matters he valued highly
in spite of his ill-success in the recent campaign.
Before leaving Bologna he offered the Duke the
chief command of the Imperial armies ; but Francesco
Maria declined the honour, saying that he was
pledged to the service of the Venetian Signory, who
courteously told the Emperor that they were unable
to spare him. Last of aU, after dark, on the night of

1 M. Sanuto, Diaiii, liii. 45.

320 ALFONSO D'ESTE AND CHARLES V.

the 7th of March, the Duke of Ferrara arrived in
Bologna. The Pope had reluctantly consented to
give him a safe- conduct, at the urgent request of the
Emperor, who on his part welcomed Alfonso warmly,
and invited him to assist that evening at the per-
formance of a comedy composed by a Lucchese poet.
During the next fortnight Charles V. succeeded in
effecting a reconciliation between the Pope and the
Duke, by which Alfonso was allowed to retain
Modena and Reggio, on payment of large sums of
money both to the Emperor and the Church. Charles
appears to have found Alfonso a very pleasant com-
panion, and afterwards declared that the Duke of
Ferrara was the wisest and wittiest prince in Italy.
They often rode out together, and one day Charles
took the Duke to visit the shop of Fra Damiano
da Bergamo, the celebrated worker in intarsiatura.
" Who is there ? " asked the friar when the Emperor
knocked at the door. " Charles of Austria," was the
reply, upon which Fra Damiano opened the door
promptly, but closed it again as quickly, on seeing
the Emperor's companion. Charles asked him with a
smile why he refused to admit the Duke of Ferrara.
" Because," replied the artist, " His Excellency makes
me pay such exorbitant tolls on the iron carving tools
which I buy at Ferrara." Both Emperor and Duke
greeted this reply with laughter, and when Alfonso
had seen Fra Damiano's work, he promised to let
him have his tools free of customs in future, and
was presented with a fine intarsia by the grateful
artist.

After this Isabella d'Este had every reason to be
satisfied with the result of the conferences at Bologna.
Her brother and nephew had made their peace with

ISABELLA'S DErARTURE 321

the Pope and Emperor, her daughter and son-in-law
had received the highest honours from Charles V.,
and now the Emperor was about to bestow a last and
crowning mark of his favour upon her eldest son.
On the 17th of March the Duchess of Savoy gave a
brilliant fete at the Palazzo PepoU, to which the Mar-
chesa Isabella, the Dukes of Ferrara and IVIilan, and
the Duke and Duchess of Urbino were all invited.
The Emperor was present during two hours, and
conversed pleasantly with some of the ladies in one
saloon, while music and dancing went on in the
other rooms. But after his departure, the Savoyard
courtiers, resenting the insolence of some of the
Spanish nobles who took hberties with the Duchess's
lovely maids-of-honour, drew their swords, and three
Spaniards were killed and seven of the Bolognese
servants wounded. According to some accounts^
Isabella d'Este's ladies were mixed up in this quarrel.
Giordano says that no less than eighteen Spaniards
were slain in the riot, and that, so much annoyed was
the Marchesa by these scandals, that she left Bologna
the next day.^ On the other hand, Signor Renier
declares this to be an exaggeration, and says that the
true cause of Isabella's hurried departure for INlantua,
was the need she felt of rest and change of air after
the fatigues of these prolonged festivities. But, in
any case, she left Bologna on the 21st of March, after
taking the most cordial farewell of His Imperial
Majesty, and receiving the Papal benediction for her-
self and her whole family.^

The Duke of Milan, who had also made a very

^ Renier, Italia^ p. l6.

2 Giordano, op. ciL, and D'Arco in Arch. St., App, ii.
^ Fontana, Rente de France, p. 66.
VOL. II. X

322 THE EMPEROR GOES TO MANTUA

favourable impression on Charles V. and greatly
improved his position, took his leave at the same
time with the Duke and Duchess of Savoy ; while
the Duke of Ferrara hastened to Modena to receive
the Emperor on his way to Mantua.

CHAPTER XL

1530—1531

Charles V. at Maihtua — The Marquis Federico created Duke, and
betrothed to the Infanta Giulia — Capture of Florence by
Ferrante Gonzaga — Isabella goes to Venice — Titian employed
by the Duke to paint a Magdalen for Vittoria Colonna —
Death of Bonifazio, Marquis of Monferrato — Federico breaks
off his contract with Donna Giulia, and asks for the hand
of Maria di Monferrato — Death of this Princess — Federico
asks for her sister Margherita's hand — Goes to Casale for the
wedding — Giulio Romano adds new rooms to the Castello —
Isabella superintends their decoration, and receives the bride.

On the Feast of the Annunciation — the 25th of
March — the Emperor entered Mantua in state. He
was sumptuously clad in gold and silver brocade, and
wore the sword and cap of Empire with which he
had been invested at Bologna. At his side rode the
Papal legates, Cardinals Cibo and IppoUto dei Medici,
and immediately behind was the Duke of FeiTara,
who had escorted him on his journey from Modena.
Federico Gonzaga rode out to receive his illustrious
guest as far as the Porta Pradella, accompanied by
the Marchese del Vasto, who had been at Mantua
for some days, and all his own valiant kinsmen.
Fifty noble youths, clad in white, and bearing long
silver staves in their hands, carried a white satin
baldacchino over the Emperor's head as he rode
through the crowded streets, under a series of
triumphal arches designed by Giuho Romano.^

1 M. Sanuto, liii. 80-108.

i2i

324 CHARLES V. AT MANTUA

The utmost ingenuity had been expended on these
decorations. Each arch was adorned with groups
of gods and goddesses, and inscribed with Greek
and Latin verses. Mars and Venus, Mercury and
Pallas, saluted Caesar in the words of Virgil and in
the name of Mantua. On the Piazza di San Pietro
a colossal Victory held a crown of laurel over the
Emperor's head. The procession paused at the
gates of the Duomo, and Charles entered the
church to receive the Bishop's benediction, after
which he crossed the Piazza to the Castello gates,
where the Marchesa Isabella was waiting at the
foot of the grand staircase to welcome him to the
ancestral palace of the Gonzagas.^

Here Charles spent the next four weeks, enjoying
a brief respite from public business and State func-
tions. He accompanied the Marquis on a series of
hunting parties, which had been planned on a
splendid scale. On Sunday the 27th, as many as
5000 riders joined in the sport, and 1000 guests
were entertained at a banquet at Marmirolo, that
superb palace on which GiuHo Romano had lavished
all the treasures of his luxuriant fancy. After
dinner the Emperor joined in a game of palla, and
slew a wild boar with his own hand in the hunt
that followed. But the same day His Majesty
nearly met with a serious accident. He was pur-
suing a wounded stag, when his horse came into
violent collision with that of the young Cardinal
Ippolito. Both riders were thrown to the ground,
and Ippolito dei Medici received a severe blow ;
** so that," as the Venetian, Marco Antonio Venier,
wrote, "one stag, in seeking to avoid death, almost

^ G. Daino, Cronaca, in Arch. St., App. ii. p. 232.

FEDERICO CREATED DUKE 325

caused the death of an Emperor and a Cardinal."
Fortunately, no serious harm was done, and
Charles V. expressed the greatest delight with his
day's sport. During the next fortnight he visited
the palaces and villas of the Gonzagas, and en-
joyed the refined luxury and high culture of an
Italian court. He saw the treasures of Isabella's
Grotta, the famous armoury in the Corte Vecchia,
the triumphs of Mantegna in the palace of S. Sebas-
tiano, and the wonderful frescoes of the story of
Psyche, which Giulio Romano had painted in Fede-
rico's new Palazzo del T^. But, more than any of
these, he admired the portraits and Holy Families
painted by Titian, the great Venetian master, who
was to become his chosen artist in days to come.

It was a proud hour in Isabella's life, and she
did the honours of her son's house and entertained
her august guest with all her wonted grace. But
her proudest moment was on the 8th of April,
when, after signing the deed creating the marquisate
of Mantua into a duchy, by virtue of his Imperial
authority, and sealing it with a gold seal, the Em-
peror pubUcly proclaimed Federico Duke of Mantua
from the steps of S. Pietro, in the presence of a
large and enthusiastic assembly.^ On the same spot,
a hundred years before, another Roman emperor,
Sigismund, had proclaimed the present Duke's an-
cestor, Giovanni Francesco, first Marquis of Mantua.
Many, indeed, had been the perils and troubles
through which the little State had passed, and
great was the glory and prosperity to which
the noble house of Gonzaga had attained. This,
Isabella felt, was the crowning triumph of her long
* G. Daino, op. ciL, p. 232.

82G HIS BETROTHAL TO THE INFANTA

life, the reward of her unwearied labours and pas-
sionate devotion to her family and country.

On the following morning, the betrothal of the new
Duke of Mantua with his cousin, the Infanta Giulia
of Aragon, was solemnised in the presence of Caesar.
The Imperial Chancellor, Cardinal Gattinara, placed
the ring on the bridegroom's hand, and blessed
another ring, which the Duke of Ferrara was charged
to deliver to the princess. Alfonso took leave of
the Emperor the next morning, and on Holy Thurs-
day Charles V. retired to the Convent of S. Bene-
detto, a few miles out of the town, and spent the
next three days in devout exercises. On Tuesday
in Easter week, the 19th of April, he finally left
Mantua, and was escorted by his host as far as
Goito, on his way to Trent.^ The Imperial visit
had passed oiF in the most successful manner, and
Isabella could look back with complete satisfaction
on these splendid and memorable days. Fortunately
she did not know that these events, in which she
saw the fulfilment of her fondest hopes, were in
reality downward steps in the history of Mantua
and of Italy, and that the Spanish rule would prove
ere long the ruin of all that made life good and
beautiful in her eyes. Four months after Charles V.
left Mantua, the city of Florence surrendered to
Ferrante Gonzaga, who had succeeded to the com-
mand of the Imperial armies on the death of the
Prince of Orange, and the last bulwark of Itahan
independence was swept away.

In May, Isabella went to Venice, and spent
several weeks there, enjoying change of air and rest.
After all the expenses of the fetes at Bologna and

^ M. Sanuto, liii. 154.

ISABELLA AT VENICE 327

Mantua, the Marchesa found herself very short of
money, and when, in June, she wished to make
some purchases before leaving Venice, she was com-
pelled to write in great haste to her treasurer, Paolo
Andreassi, begging him to send her 100 ducats on
the spot. Here she saw Titian, who was engaged
on several works for the Duke, and went to Bologna
at his request in July, to paint the portrait of a
fair lady whose bright eyes had captivated the
Emperor's secretary, Covos. On the 19th of June
Isabella returned to Mantua, and soon afterwards
recei"Med a letter from the painter, expressing his
regret that he had been unable to pay her a fare-
well visit before she left Venice, and saying that
he had almost finished the little "travelling" pic-
ture which she had ordered. At the same time, he
begged the Marchesa to use her influence with the
Duke on behalf of his son Pomponio, for whom
he was anxious to obtain the benefice of Medola.^
This request was readily granted by Federico, and
the promise of this rich benefice proved a sensible
consolation in the loss which Titian suffered by the
sudden death of his wife Cecilia. " Messer Tiziano,"
wrote the Mantua envoy, Benedetto Agnello, on the
4th of October, " is recovering his spirits, and hopes
soon to come to Mantua." Whether he visited
Mantua or not that autumn, he certainly executed
several commissions for the Duke during the winter.
One of these, in which Isabella took especial in-
terest, was a Magdalen, which Federico intended as a
gift to Vittoria Colonna, Marchesa di Pescara. On the
11th of March, the Duke wrote the following letter
to this accompUshed lady, for whom he and all his

1 Crowe e Cavalcaselle, Titian, i. 343.

828 TITIAN TAINTS A MAGDALEN

fiimily entertained so true a regard : " I hear from
Signer Fabrizio Maramaldo that you desire to have a
beautiful picture of S. Maiy Magdalen by the hand of
an excellent painter. I sent to Venice at once, and
wrote to Titian, who is perhaps the best master now
living, and is altogether devoted to me, begging him
earnestly to make a picture of this saint, as beautiful
and tearful as possible, and to let me have it directly."^
Titian, in his anxiety to gratify this generous patron,
put all his other work aside to begin the new picture,
which was already well advanced by the 22nd of
March, and seemed, in Agnello's opinion, to be a
work of the highest excellence. On the 19th, Isabella
wrote to Agnello, saying how glad she and her son
were to hear that M. Tiziano had begun the Magda-
len, adding, that the sooner it arrived, the better they
would be pleased. Again, on the 8th of April, she
wrote to the envoy : " We hear from the Castellano,
Gian Giacomo Calandra, that the picture of the
Magdalen which Titian is painting is nearly finished.
We are delighted to hear this, and beg you to thank
M. Tiziano for the pains and promptitude with which
he has served us, although we know that he could
not well do otherwise. And since we desire to have
the picture immediately, we send a courier to Venice
forthwith, in order that he may bring it back with
him. Please have the canvas carefully packed and
covered up, so that it cannot suffer injury, with the
lightest material you can find, in order that he may
caiTy it with him ; and make all the necessary
arrangements to prevent any delay at the custom-
house, and that he may be allowed to bring it free

of charge."^

^ Crowe e Cavalcaselle, op. cit., i. App.
2 Gaye, Carteggioj ii. 225.

FOR VITTORIA COLONNA 329

The picture was ready, but had to be kept two
days longer to allow the varnish to dry. On the 14th
of April it was finally despatched to Mantua with a
letter from the painter, saying that he had put his
whole strength into the work. " If only my hand
and brush," he adds, " had agreed with the greatness
of my dream, the result would have satisfied me
better ; but this, alas ! has not been the case by a
long way, and a great space still remains between
my aspiration and my achievement. The Magdalen
herself has promised to beg your forgiveness with
hands folded on her breast." ^

Both the Duke and his mother were, however,
dehghted with the picture, and Federico wrote in
glowing terms to thank the painter.

" M. Tiziano, — I have received the picture of the
Magdalen, which you have painted for us, and which
I quite expected to be a beautiful thing, knowing
that nothing else could proceed from your hand,
because of your excellence in painting, and all the
more, because you were doing the work for me, whom
I know you like to please. But I find it far more
perfect and beautiful than I ever expected, and, truly,
of all the pictures which I have ever seen, I do not
remember one which seems to me more beautiful.
I am indeed more than satisfied. And Madama Illus-
trissima, my mother, says the same, pronouncing it
to be a most admirable work, and confessing that it
is equal to the finest pictures of the kind which she has
seen and enjoyed. And these, as you know, are very
many. Every one who sees it says the same, and the
best judges of painting praise it the most. Thus I
recognise that in this magnificent work you have

^ GayCj op. ciU, ii. 226.

330 FEDERICO'S MARRIAGE

tried to express at once the love which you cherish
for me and your own rare excellence. These two
things have enabled you to produce this incom-
parable figure, which is so beautiful that it is im-
possible to desire anything finer. I cannot say how
grateful I feel, and can only assure you that I shall
never forget this and all the other pleasure which you
have given me, and shall ever remain at your ser-
vice." ^ Mantua, April 19, 1531.

The Magdalen was forwarded, without delay, to
Vittoria Colonna, who expressed the warmest grati-
tude for the priceless gift, and sent the Duke an
exquisitely- wrought casket filled with rare perfumes
and cosmetic of roses. In his letter of thanks
Federico replied that he would not fail to tell Titian
how much Vittoria admired his picture, since this
would doubtless incite him to fresh efforts, and if
his art should attain a new perfection in the future,
it would be her doing.^ Isabella and all her children,
more especially Leonora and Ercole, were deeply
attached to Vittoria Colonna ; but, in this instance,
the Duke and his mother had a further motive for
their anxiety to gratify her. It was, they felt, of
the utmost importance to secure the goodwill of her
nephew, the all-powerful Alfonso d'Avalos, in certain
delicate matters regarding Federico's marriage.

Before the Emperor left Mantua the betrothal of
Federico with the Infanta Giulia had been formally
announced. Charles V. promised the bride a dowiy
of 50,000 ducats, and the marriage contract was
drawn up, to the great delight of the widowed Queen
of Naples. In the weekly letters which Isabella re-

^ Gaye, op. cit., p. 224.

' Luzio, Eivista Mantovana, i. 3—8.

MARQUIS OF MONFERRATO'S DEATH 331

ceived from Ferrara, we find frequent allusions to her
future daughter-in-law, who now bore the title of
Duchess of Mantua. The novelist Stabellino, writing
to the Marchesa on the 22nd of May, describing a
fete given by Renee de France in the beautiful hall
of the Schifanoia Palace, remarks : " The Duchess
danced hand in hand with the daughters of the Queen
of Naples, and Don Ercole with INIadame de Soubise's
daughter. Then Don Francesco d'Este led out the
Infanta GiuHa, and many others followed dancing,
and talking sweetly of love." The usual minute
particulars of the princess's dress and appearance
follow.^ But greatly as Isabella desired her son's
maiTiage, she does not appear to have felt much
satisfaction with the bride whom the Emperor had
chosen. The Infanta was considerably over thirty
years of age, and the Marchesa may well have felt
some misgivings with regard to the marriage,
especially while the Duke's mistress, Isabella Bos-
chetti, still retained her old empire over him.

Suddenly an unexpected event altered the whole
aspect of affairs. The young Marquis of Monferrato,
who had so lately played an important part in the
imperial Coronation, was killed by a fall from his
horse when he was out hunting, one day in June.
He was succeeded by his uncle. Bishop Giovanni
Giorgio, an elderly and infirm prince, who was in
deacon's orders. Since he had never married, and
was likely to remain childless, his elder niece, Maria
Paleologa, the very princess who had formerly been
affianced to Federico Gonzaga, now became iieiress
to the rich principality of Monferrato. Both Isabella
d'Este and the widowed Marchesa of Monferrato had

1 Fontana, Renee de France, p. 144.

332 FEDERICO'S BETROTHAL

always wished for this marriage, and now the Duke
himself was equally anxious to obtain the hand of the
bride whom he had once rejected. He lost no time
in renewing his suit, and sent envoys to the Emperor
and the Pope begging to be released from his en-
gagement to the Infanta, on the ground of a previous
contract, and the scruples which he felt with regard to
marriage with a first cousin. A conference was held
at Mantua, in which the chief lawyers and ecclesiastics
of the State unanimously gave their opinion in favour
of the vaUdity of the first contract, and the Duke's
subjects presented him with a petition, begging him
to repudiate the Infanta and marry Maria Paleologa,
who, being younger, would be more likely to bear
him an heir. In the midst of these negotiations the
poor young princess Maria died after a few days'
illness on the 25th of September 1530. The Duke
at once proclaimed a general mourning for his wife,
and promptly asked the Marchesa di Monferrato for
the hand of her only surviving daughter, Margherita.
This princess, who had just entered her twentieth
year, now found herself courted by the most exalted
personages. The Emperor pressed the suit of the
Count Palatine, the King of France tried to secure
the hand of the heiress for his second son, while the
Marchesa di Monferrato herself was anxious to marry
her daughter to the Duke of Milan. But as usual
the Gonzagas triumphed, and Isabella had her way.
The Pope was induced to annul the contract with
the Infanta in March 1531, and although Charles V.
still tried to persuade Federico to fulfil his pledges
and take Giulia of Aragon for his bride, he at length
recognised further opposition to be useless, and gave
his consent to the Duke's marriage with Margherita

TO MARGHERITA PALEOLOGA 333

Paleologa. On the 26th of July the contract was
finally signed at Casale, and congratulations flowed in
from all sides.

Bernardo Tasso composed an Epithalamium in
honour of the happy event, Vittoria Colonna sent
the most cordial good wishes, with two of her latest
sonnets from the island of Ischia, and Paolo Giovio
wrote from Rome that this illustrious lady was so
genuinely attached to the Duke, that she could not
wish her own Marchese del Vasto greater joy and
good fortune.^

Titian received a letter from Federico himself
informing him of his marriage, and wrote on the
31st of July, to congratulate his noble patron in the
warmest terms : " My dear Lord, — I cannot express,
either by words or writing, how great was my
delight on receiving the letter which you were so
kind and gracious as to send me, and which con-
firmed and explained what I had already heard of
Your Excellency's most happy marriage. This news
has filled me with the most unbounded joy, so that
I can hardly contain myself. And I pray that
our Lord God may keep you, and give you all
prosperity, and fulfil all your desires for infinite
years to come."^ The Duke in his letter informed
Titian that the benefice of Medola and its revenues
had been formally granted to his son, a fact which
added not a little to the painter's satisfaction.

This time Federico was determined that no
unnecessary delay should hinder his marriage, and
he prevailed on the Marchesa di Monferrato to
allow the wedding to take place early in October.

^ Luzio in Rivista Mantovana, i. 3-8.
2 Crowe e Cavalcaselle, Titian, i. App.

334 THE DUKE AT CASALE

Early in the last week of September, he set out
from Mantua, with a brilliant suite, which included
his kinsmen, the ambassador Francesco Gonzaga,
I'Abate Lodovico, and his younger son, Gianfraneesco
Cagnino, the Count of Caiazzo, who had married a
daughter of Pirro Gonzaga, and his favourite, Count
Nicola MafFei, as well as the papal legate and im-
perial ambassador. The party travelled by road
to Pa via, where they spent Sunday night in the
bishop's palace, and were met by two envoys from
Casale. On ]\Ionday morning, after hearing mass,
the Duke went out on a hunting expedition with
Count Maximihan Stampa, and spent the night
at Vigevano with his cousin, the Duke of Milan.
"This illustrious Duke," wrote the secretary who
sent Isabella a full account of her son's wedding
journey, "rode out with all his court to meet our
Signor, and received him in the most kind and
honourable manner. Indeed, as long as we were
in the dominions of the Lord Duke, we were ex-
ceedingly well treated, and could not have been
more royally entertained."^ Francesco now an-
nounced his intention of accompanying his cousin
to Casale for the wedding, and on Tuesday, after
another hunting expedition, the two princes, ac-
companied by the redoubtable Antonio de Leyva
and twenty-five Milanese nobles, reached Casale.
The old Marquis of Monferrato received the bride-
groom outside the city gates, and Federico entered
the tovim on horseback between his host and the
Duke of Milan, attended by an escort of a thousand
men. As soon as he reached the CasteUo, he was
conducted into the presence of the Marchesa, who

^ M. Sanuto, Diarii, Iv. 38.

WEDDING FETES 335

was ill in bed. " And so great was the crowd,"
writes the Mantuan secretary, "at the doors of her
bedroom, that I, who had gone in with my Signor,
found it quite impossible to get out again." A
magnificent suite of apartments, the first hung
with gold brocade and green velvet, the second
with silver brocade, tan-coloured velvet and tur-
quoise satin, and the third with gold and silver
brocade, had been prepared for the Duke of
Mantua, close to the Princess Margherita's rooms.
Federico, however, insisted that his cousin, the
Duke of JNIilan, must occupy these apartments,
and the door which led into the bride's chamber
was hastily sealed up. But Francesco, not to be
outdone in courtesy, quite refused to occupy the
bridegroom's rooms, declaring that he had come to
the wedding uninvited, simply out of affection for
his cousin.

The wedding took place that same evening in
the Marchesa's bedroom. Antonio de Leyva was
carried in by his servants, and quickly followed
by the bridegroom, who had changed his riding
boots and dusty travelling dress for a splendid suit
of gold brocade. Federico was supported by the
Duke of Milan and attended by as many of the
nobles and courtiers as the little room could hold.
As soon as the Marchesa saw him she held out her
arms, and with tears in her eyes embraced him.
*' Your Excellency," wrote Isabella's correspondent,
" may imagine how tenderly she kissed him." Then
the bride entered, clad in white satin embroidered
with silver, with a high collar and sleeves sown with
pearls, a jewelled girdle round her waist, and a white
satin cap studded with diamonds. The Bishop of

33G PRErARATIONS FOR BRIDE'S ENTRY

Vercelli spoke a few words, and the noise was so
great that only those who stood near him could
hear a word. " So my lord wedded lier with great
rejoicing, and when every one had done kissing the
Lady Duchess's hand, we all went to supper. After
this Madama herself left her bed to accompany
the bridal pair to their rooms, and gave them her
blessing with such loving words that all who heard
her wept for gladness. God grant that they may
both enjoy the happiness which we hope and de-
sire for them, since the bride is beautiful, gracious,
kind, wise, and virtuous, and I am quite certain that
Your Excellency will be delighted with her. This
morning the Magnifico Francesco Gonzaga took
the bride my lord's gift of jewels . . . and to-day
there is a festa in the Castello, and all the ladies
of Casale are coming. As soon as he was dressed
this morning, my lord went to see Madama illus-
trissima, and again after dinner and before supper,
and they are all very gay. And I only regret,"
adds the secretary, "that I cannot better tell Your
Excellency the things of which it is my duty to
inform you." ^

Meanwhile Isabella once more administered the
State in her son's absence, and superintended
the final preparations for his bride's reception.
Throughout the summer Giulio Romano and a host
of builders, artists, and decorators had been working
at the Castello, where the Duke had decided to
take up his abode. A new suite of rooms, known
as the Palazzina, was built for the use of the
Duchess, to the right of the drawbridge leading to
the Ponte S. Giorgio. These apartments were con-

^ M. Sanuto, op. cit., p. 41.

THE PALAZZINA 337

nected with Isabella's old rooms near the Camera
degli Sposi by a comdor, and the roof was adorned
with a terraced garden and open loggia overlooking
the lake. On the 7th of October, Ippolito Calandra
wrote to tell the Duke of a visit which his mother
had paid to the new building, and of the great
satisfaction which she had expressed. "Yesterday
Madama illustrissima came to the Castello, and
wished to see everything. She was much pleased,
and went out on the new terrace, which dehghted
her as much as possible, and stayed there for more
than an hour, expressing the greatest admiration
for the magnificent view. ' If in my time,' she
exclaimed, ' there had ever been such a fine terrace,
I should never have complained of having had
to live in the Castello I ' Her Excellency visited
the garden and loggietta, which she praised greatly
as a thing excellently contrived and admirably de-
signed. She then wished to go down into the
rooms, but had not courage to descend by the
wooden steps, although a railing had been put up
for protection, so Isabella and Madonna Paola went
down with the maidens, and Isabella afterwards told
Madama exactly how the rooms were aiTanged. All
this pleased her exceedingly, and she said that Your
Excellency could not have made a better or more
convenient addition to the Castello." A few days
afterwards, Ippolito wrote to tell the Duke that
the Marchesa had visited the new rooms again, to
arrange the hangings and furniture, and had in-
spected the rooms prepared for the Duchess's ladies,
and the new court looking over the bridge. *' Once
more she expressed the greatest satisfaction, and
laughed as she said to me ; ' Ah ! Ippolito, if in my

VOL. II. Y

338 GIULTO ROMANO'S ADVICE

time I and my ladies had ever enjoyed such lodgings
as these, we should indeed have thought ourselves
fortunate I '" '

On receiving his mother's report, Federico wrote
from Casale, saying that a covered passage must be
made from the old Studio to the new rooms, as he
objected to the wooden staircase, and further ordered
a stone flight of steps to be constructed leading up
to the terrace and hanging gardens on the roof. By
Giulio Romano's advice, the walls of the new rooms
were not painted, but only enamelled in white and
adorned with pictures, while the doors and mantel-
pieces were hung with Spanish leather. *' By this
means," wrote the master, " the rooms will be ready
when Your Excellency arrives, and Her Highness
the Duchess can enjoy them this winter, because they
really look very well, and when the fine season comes
they can be painted."^ Messer Giulio and Isabella
devoted great pains to the choice of the pictures with
which the new rooms were to be hung. On the 14th,
Giulio wrote that the windows were all filled with
glass and the paintings hung on the walls in fine
gilded frames. A fortnight later, Ippolito Calandra
sent his lord a list of the masterpieces which had
been selected, with Madama's help, to adorn the
new hall or Camera delle Arme, as it was called
from the armorial bearings of Francesco and Isa-
bella, and of Federico and his wife, which were
painted on the walls.

" The pictures in this hall," writes the chamberlain
in a memorable passage,^ " are Messer Giulio 's portrait

1 S. Davari, Arch. St. Lomh., 1895.

2 Gaye, Carteggio, ii. 228.

2 Pungileoni, Elogio di Raffaelle, p. 182 ; Luzio, Arch. d. Arte,
L 181.

THE DUKE'S PICTURES 839

of Your Excellency, that of Pope Leo by Raphael,
which was given you by His Holiness Clement
VII,, the portrait of Your Excellency by Messer
Tiziano, and the one which Raphael of Urbino
painted in Rome of Your Excellency, as weU as
that picture, which was given you by a Venetian, of
a Lady and her child, and was so much praised by
Messer Giulio, and the splendid St. Jerome in oils
that was painted in Flanders and bought by Your
Excellency. All the pictures are in gilded frames
and look very beautiful. In the Camerino of the
Duchess we might perhaps have six pictures — Man-
tegna's Crista in Scurto, Messer Tiziano's St. Jerome,
M. Giulio's Santo Caterina, and the Leonardo da
' Vinci that was given you by Conte Nicola. These
would make a fine show in the room."

These few lines have been frequently quoted, and
throw considerable light on the famous pictures that
were in the Gonzaga collection during Isabella's life-
time. The portrait of Pope Leo X. and his two
Cardinals had, as we have already said, been pre-
sented to Federico Gonzaga by Pope Clement VII.
in 1525, and was not the original by Raphael, but a
copy by Andrea del Sarto.^ The portrait of Federico
in armour, by Titian, was the noble work which the
Venetian master had painted in the spring of 1530,
and which excited the admiration of Charles V.
more than any other picture that he saw at
Mantua. Unfortunately this portrait, which, in
Vasari's words, " seemed the life itself," ^ and
which was valued at 150 ducats in the inventory
of 1627, disappeared in the sack of Mantua, and
was not among the works of art sold to Charles I.

1 Vol. ii. 254. 2 Yite^ Scc, v. 42.

340 A VENETIAN PORTRAIT

Next to this masterpiece, Calandra mentions the
precious little portrait of Federico as a boy, painted
by Raphael in Rome, which, as we have already seen,
had been recovered by Castiglione a few years be-
fore.^ The St. Jerome by Titian was sent to the
Duke from Venice in March 1531 ; while of the
Leonardo given him by Count Nicola MafFei we have
no certain knowledge, and can only suppose it to be
the drawing of " a Woman's Head, with dishevelled
hair " (scapigliata), which is the only work by this
master's hand mentioned in the inventory of 1627.
Lastly, in the portrait of the Lady and her child, by an
unknown Venetian artist, which won Giulio Romano's
praise, we may recognise a picture which has been
sometimes supposed to represent Isabella d'Este her-
self and her son, chiefly because the lady wears the
turban-shaped head-dress which the Marchesa had
introduced, and which had become fashionable both
in Milan and Venice. One example of this portrait
is in the Gallery of the Hermitage. Another is in
M. Ludwig Mond's collection in London, while other
replicas are to be found in Italian galleries. The
work is certainly of Venetian origin, but has no claim
to represent the Marchesa, although the original hung
for many years in the ducal palace at Mantua.

The preparations for the bride's entry were another
subject which occupied both Isabella and Messer
Giulio's thoughts. Federico had given orders that
the decorations and festivities should be planned on
a lavish scale, and a voluntary tax to defray these
expenses was levied under the name of the Duke's
wedding-gift. This, however, excited a good deal
of grumbling among his loyal subjects, and Castig-

1 Vol. ii. i6i.

GIULIO ROMANO'S DECORATIONS 341

Hone's mother, Luigia Gonzaga, was one of those
who excused themselves from payment. Isabella, as
usual, entered keenly into the discussion of every
detail. " Madama," wrote Giulio Romano to the
Duke, " is of opinion that a spacious covered bridge
should be erected from the Ponte S. Giorgio to the
Castello." He, on his part, proposed that a per-
manent flight of steps should be erected, leading from
the shores of the lake, where the bride was to land, to
a portico where JNIadama and her ladies would receive
her. The walls of this portico might be painted
white, and hung with festoons of verdure and blue
draperies, with some embroideries, so as to look well
for the day, without entailing any great expense, and
a triumphal arch, as finely panelled and painted as
those lately erected in honour of the Emperor's visit,
might be raised on the side facing the Castello.
" Here," he writes, " there would be plenty of room
for Madama and all the gentle ladies of Mantua, and
if it rains, or thunders and lightens, they would be
under shelter, and there could be large and fine
windows looking out on the lake, so that they might
be able to see the arrival of the much-desired sails.
Here all the chariots can be in waiting, and, im-
mediately after the bride's reception, the ladies can
drive without delay across the Piazza to the Duomo."^
But before this plan could be carried out, a terrible
inundation, such as had not been known for many
years in Lombardy, suspended all festive prepara-
tions and created a general panic. A week of heavy
rains set in at the close of October. The Po, which
was unusually low for the time of year, suddenly
rose several feet and flooded the whole country

1 Gaye, op. cit., ii. 233-242.

342 FLOODS IN LOMBARDY

between Governolo and Mantua. The Mincio and
the Oglio broke their bounds ; Sacchetta and Borgo-
forte were submerged, and many villages and houses
were destroyed. The injury to property was immense,
and Mantua itself was in great peril for some days.
" And still the rain continues," wrote Benedetto
Agnello to the Doge of Venice, " and still bad news
comes in from all sides. The upper course of all the
rivers, we hear, is swollen, and not only have several
towns been flooded, but many buildings have been
destroyed, which makes me think that God in his
anger has allowed this to happen for the chastisement
of our sins." In this emergency Isabella showed her
usual courage and presence of mind. She summoned
the chief officials, appointed special commissioners,
and gave the necessary orders for the repair of
the dykes and the preservation of the city.
'■^ Madama illustrissima" wrote Agnello, "as Your
Sublimity can imagine, has been in the greatest
distress in the world, at the sight of the ter-
rible calamity which has so suddenly befallen her
state. More than all, she is grieved to hear of the
damage which you and the gentlemen of Venice
have suffered by the bursting of the dykes of the
Po at Sacchetta, and has taken every possible pre-
caution to prevent the extension of the mischief.
An infinite number of men are working day and
night to repair the dykes at this point, and if it is
in mortal power to prevent further harm, Your Sub-
limity may be certain that it wiU be done. But
God and Fate have wiUed this, and it is not in our
hands to resist them." ^

By degrees the floods abated, and the damage

1 M. Sanuto, Diarii, Iv. 110, 111.

ENTRY OF THE BRIDE 343

was as far as possible repaired. But the entry of the
Duke and his bride was put off, and did not take
place until the 16th of November. The Duchess
had been seriously unwell, and the ceremony of
her reception was considerably curtailed in con-
sequence.^ The Duke of Milan, who had been
invited to assist at the festivities, remained at
Vigevano, and Isabella alone, surrounded by her
faithful subjects, welcomed Federico's bride to the
splendid home where her coming had been long and
anxiously expected.

1 M. Sanuto, Ivi. 158.

CHAPTER XLI

1531—1536

Isabella at Venice — Death of Margherita Cantelraa — Marriage of
Ferrante Gonzaga — Duchess Margherita Paleologa — Ariosto
and Bernardo Tasso send the Marchesa their poems — Visit of
the Emperor Charles V. to Mantua — Marriage and death of
the Marquis of Monferrato — His State annexed to Mantua —
Birth of a son to Duke Federico — Titian paints Isabella's
portrait from the original by Francia.

The marriage of her eldest son was the last occasion
on which Isabella took any active part in public
affairs. Her vigorous frame began to show signs
of decay, and she became slowly conscious of
advancing age. In August 1531, she made her will,^
and in the following spring, besides taking her usual
trip to Venice, visited the baths of Albano for the good
of her health. On the 22nd of May, the Marchesa
lost one of her oldest friends, Margherita, the widow
of Sigismondo Cantelmo, Duke of Sora, who had
spent the last years of her life at Mantua. This
lady bequeathed a considerable fortune to Isabella,
begging her to found a convent of canonesses
for the help of poor ladies of rank, and to erect a
monument in memory of Sigismondo and his sons in
the church of S. Maria della Presentazione.^ Both
of Margherita's last wishes were faithfully carried
out, and the imposing tomb of the Cantelmi, which

1 Luzio e Renier, Mantova, p. 282.
* D'Arco, Notizie d' Isabella, p. 221.

844

MARGHERITA CANTELMA'S DEATH 345

was executed from Giulio Romano's designs in 1534,
is still preserved in a chapel of S. Andrea. These
two objects naturally absorbed the greater part of
the fortune which Isabella inherited from her dead
friend, and she was justly annoyed when her son
Ferrante wrote to beg for an advance of money,
on the strength of this large legacy. " If I did
not see," she replied, "that you evidently share
the popular fallacy that Signora Cantelma's bequest
has greatly enriched me, I should be extremely
surprised at your boldness in daring to ask me
for 3000 ducats. You know that it has never
been my habit to hoard money, although certainly,
if report spoke true, I should have no difficulty in
satisfying you I " ^ Ferrante had always been the
most extravagant of Isabella's sons, and the most
unscrupulous in his demands upon his mother's
purse. But, he had lately married the wealthy
heiress Isabella of Capua and had bought the prin-
cipality of Guastalla, to the south of Mantua, from
the Torelli family, so that Isabella felt justified in
resisting his importunities on this occasion.

Both her sons' marriages, however, turned out
happily, and Isabella became fondly attached to
her daughter-in-law, Margherita Paleologa. This
gentle and virtuous princess, without possessing any
lemarkable talents or making herself in any way con-
spicuous, soon won the love of her husband and sub-
jects. In the fii'st years of her married life the young
Duchess suffered from the insolence and hatred of
Isabella Boschetti, who still retained, in a measure, her
hold upon Federico. But before long this old intrigue
ended in a tragic manner. It was reported in JNIantua

* Luzio in Nuova Antologia, 1896.

846 THE ORLANDO FURIOSO

that the Duke's mother-in-law, the Marchesa Anna,
indignant at t\c slights which her daughter received,
had tried to poison Federico's mistress. Upon this,
her husband, Francesco Gonzaga, entered into a
conspiracy against the Duke, and was betrayed and
put to death at Ferrara.^

In the autumn of 1531, the Marchesa went back
to Venice, and while she was staying there her old
friend Ariosto sent her a copy of the third edition of
his Orlando Furioso. When her son Ferrante was
born, in 1507, the poet had read her some cantos from
his unpublished poem, and when the epic was first
printed, in 1516, he came to Mantua in person and
offered her the fu'st copy. Now he gave her this new
edition, containing the famous passage in honour of
the house of Este, and the following lines in her
praise : —

" D'opere illustre e di bei studi arnica
Ch'io non so ben se piii leggiadra e bella.
Mi debba dire, o pii saggia e pudica,
Liberale e magnanima Isabella.

Per I'avvenir vo che ciascuna ch'aggia,
II nome tuo, sia di sublime ingegno
E sia bella, gentil, cortese e saggia,
E di vera onestade arrivi al segno ;
Onde materia agli scrittori caggia
Di celebrare il nome inclito e degno,
Taleh^ Parnaso, Pindo et Elicone,
Sempre Isabella, Isabella risuona." ^

The Marchesa replied on the 15th of October
m the following cordial terms : " Your book of
Orlando Furioso, which you have sent me, is most
welcome in all respects, and most of all, since, as you

1 G. B. Intra in Arch. St. Lomh., 1887.

2 Cantos xlii., xiii. 59 and xxix. 26.

DEATH OF ARIOSTO 347

tell me, you have newly revised and enlarged it. I
shall no doubt find new pleasure and delight in
reading the poem. I thank you, more than I can
express, for your kind allusions to me, and you may
be quite sure that I shall always be ready to serve
you, whenever an occasion presents itself, because
of the great affection and admiration which I have
always felt for your rare talents, which are indeed
deserving of the highest favour. So, from my heart,
I place myself wholly at your disposal." ^

Isabella was as good as her word, and when, a
fortnight later, Charles V. again visited Mantua,
Ariosto was invited to meet him, and presented His
Cassarean Majesty with a copy of his Orlando. Seven
months later, the great poet died, on the 6th of July
1533, and Girolamo da Sestola informed the Marchesa
of his death. "Yesterday, at seven o'clock in the
evening, our Messer Lodovico Ariosto died. He is
certainly a very great loss. May God receive him I " ^
Isabella replied a week later in a warm letter, full of
regret and affection. " All Ferrara," she writes,
" must weep for him, since we have lost in him not
only a gentleman who was full of goodness, but one
whose rare and excellent talents made him the greatest
ornament of our country."

Another old friend, Bernardo Tasso, the author
of the Amadigi, sent Isabella a copy of his poems,
entitled II Libro degli Amori, on the 5th of Decem-
ber 1531, with the following graceful epistle : " I
should care little for the small praise or blame these
verses may bring me, were they not submitted to the
judgment of Your Excellency, which is perfect in

1 D'Arco, op. cit., p. 324.

8 Luzio in Giom. St. d. Lett, I9OO.

348 BERNARDO TASSO

these matters, as in many other honourable things.
If they are fortunate enough to deserve your praise,
they will be far more dear and precious to me than
they now are. I beg Your Excellency to accept
them, and, when you have a spare hour, take them
up in your hand, and, as you read my poor verses,
gently excuse my follies, remembering that from
childhood I have been Your Excellency's servant,
and shall ever remain so, as my actions will bear
witness, if a little more time on earth is allowed me.
And so I commend myself humbly to Your Excel-
lency, praying that you may enjoy a long and happy
life."'

Isabella, who had become intimate with Tasso on
her frequent visits to Ferrara, greatly appreciated this
attentions, as the following letter shows : —

"Dearest Friend, — I have received and ah-eady
read the greater part of your love-songs in the vulgar
tongue, which you kindly sent me, and I think them
so well chosen and gracefully expressed that their
elegance not only demands my praise, but compels
me to thank you for the pleasure and delight which
your noble present has afforded me. I send you infinite
thanks, and repeat that nothing could have given me
more pleasure or filled me with greater desire to help
you. I only await an occasion of showing you how
warm is the love I bear you, and place myself at your
disposal with my whole heart."

Bernardo was afterwards appointed Governor of
Ostiglia by Isabella's grandson, Duke Guglielmo, in
1563, and died at Mantua six years later in the arms
of his greater son, Torquato Tasso. ^

In November 1532, Charles V. once more crossed

^ D'Arco, op. cit., p. 323. ^ Luzio, op. cit.

CHARLES V. AT MANTUA 849

the Alps, and entered Mantua on the 7th, bringing
with him a great train of Burgundian guards, bag-
gage, horses, and sporting dogs. His pleasant and
affable manners made a great impression on the
Venetian envoys. He went out hunting or rode
out every day incognito with the Duke, and walked
about the town, unattended by his guards and fre-
quently unrecognised. Often people were puzzled how
to distinguish him from Alfonso d'Avalos, who was
generally at his side and wore the same Spanish suit
of black velvet embroidered with gold, until Charles,
hearing them ask, " Which is he ? " would raise his
cap with a smile. Ferrante and his cousin, Luigi
Gonzaga of Borgoforte, were the Emperor's constant
companions, and talked and laughed with him in the
most famiUar way ; but the Venetians noticed that
he always spoke of war and politics with the Duke of
Urbino, and only discussed hunting and other amuse-
ments with Federico. This time the Duke resolved
to give a series of theatrical performances in the
Castello, and asked his mother to allow her suite of
rooms on the ground floor of the Corte Vecchia to be
fitted up as a stage. ^ The preparations were on a
grand scale, and cost Messer Giulio and Calandra
no small amount of trouble. At Federico's request,
Titian sent him a skilful and '* very pleasing artist,"
called Vincenzo of Brescia, who painted a large
canvas with villages and houses and an Emperor
on horseback attended by guards on Arab steeds,
which was suspended from the roof by gold silk
cords.^ Messer Giulio, "although little versed in
such matters, also displayed rare skill and ingenuity,"

1 M. Sanuto, Diarii, Ivii. 227, &c.
* D'AncoiiEj Teatro, ii. 430, &c

850 TITIAN'S PORTRAITS

and painted, we are told, the most beautiful per-
spectives and scenery. " Never," exclaims Vasari,
*' were masquerades so splendid, or costumes so varied
as those which this master designed for the jousts,
pageants, and tournaments that were held on this
occasion, and which the Emperor Charles and all
present beheld with amazement."^

The magnificent paintings in the new halls of
the Castello, and above all Titian's portrait of the
Duke, made a still deeper impression upon the art-
loving monarch, who repeatedly declared that he
should like this master to paint his own portrait.^
Upon which Federico sent an express messenger to
Venice, begging Titian to come to Mantua at once,
and with a touch of his mother's practical nature,
added a postscript desiring the painter to bring some
fresh supplies of fish with him. Titian, however,
was unable to leave Venice, and agreed to join the
Emperor at Bologna, where he was to meet the Pope
in December. On St. Andrew's Day, a solemn
mass was held in S. Andrea, at which the Dukes of
Ferrara, Urbino, Milan, and Mantua were all present,
and the Marchese del Vasto was invested with the
Order of the Golden Fleece. On the 5th, a ball was
held in the Castello, and the Marchesa Isabella sat
at the Emperor's table, her daughter-in-law being in
delicate health and unable to appear. When they
had finished supper, Charles took his hostess by the
hand and led her to the tables where the other
guests sat, and himself waited on them in the most
gallant fashion in the world. A final hunting party
had been fixed to take place at Gonzaga, but was

1 File, c^'C, V. 335.

* P. Aretino, Lettere, i. 257.

MONFERRATO ANNEXED 351

stopped by a heavy fall of snow, and the Duke
ordered sleighs to be prepared after the German
fashion. But news came of the Pope's arrival at
Bologna, and Charles could not tarry any longer.
" All the ladies," says the Venetian, " were looking
forward to this new amusement with delight, and
cursed the Pope for disturbing their pleasures." ^ To-
wards the middle of the month, Charles started on
his journey, escorted by the Dukes of Mantua, Fer-
rara, and Milan, and proceeded to Bologna, stopping
on the way at Borgoforte Gonzaga, and Correggio,
where he was the guest of Veronica Gambara.

Before leaving Italy, the Emperor arranged a
marriage between Donna Giulia of Aragon, the Duke
of Mantua's rejected bride, and Giovanni Giorgio,
the infirm old Marquis of Monferrato. The mar-
riage was celebrated with great pomp at Ferrara
in April, and on the 21st, the bride entered Casale
in state. But the poor old bridegroom was so ill
that he could not leave his room, and died eight
days afterwards. The Infanta returned to her
mother at Ferrara, and the male Hne of the Paleo-
loghi came to an end. The Duke of Mantua now
claimed Monferrato by right of his wife, the only
surviving child of the Marquis Guglielmo, and in
spite of the opposition of the Marquis of Saluzzo and
of the Duke of Savoy, finally attained his object. In
1536, an imperial decree was issued by which Federico
and his heirs obtained the title of Marquis of Mon-
ferrato, and this rich province was annexed to Mantua.

On the 13th of March 1533, Duchess Margherita
gave birth to a son and heir, who received the name
of Francesco and was held at the font by his grand-

^ M. Sanuto, op. ciU, p. 334.

352 BIRTH OF FEDERICO'S SON

mother, Isabella d'Este. The long-desired event was
celebrated by pubhc rejoicings which lasted three
days, and the riotous youth of Mantua gave vent to
their exultation by making a huge bonfire, in which
the doors of the shops, the seats of the Palazzo di
Giustizia, with the documents which they contained,
and even the chairs of the Duomo, were all con-
sumed.^

In this same month of March 1533, Isabella
addressed a letter to a certain Messer Giovanni Tucca,
who was secretary to Alfonso d'Avalos, Marchese del
Vasto. This powerful favourite had twice visited
Mantua with his imperial master, and had formed
a close friendship with the Duke, who employed
Titian to paint the well-known group of D'Avalos
and his family. This fine work was long one of the
ornaments of the ducal collection, and after the sale
of Charles the First's pictures, passed into the hands
of Louis XIV. It now came to the JVIarchesa's
knowledge that Del Vasto had expressed a wish to
acquire her own picture of the Magdalen for his
aunt, Vittoria Colonna. In her anxiety to oblige
her son's influential friend, Isabella promptly sent the
picture in question, with the following note, to Messer
Tucca : —

" Some time ago, I saw a letter which you
wrote to my friend. Count Nicola MafFei, in which
you mentioned that the illustrious Signor Marchese
del Vasto wished to have my picture of S. M.
Magdalen, that he might give it to the Signora
Marchesa di Pescara. Since there is nothing in the
world that I would not give His Excellency, I felt
the greatest satisfaction on hearing of this his desire,

* M. Sanuto, op. cit.

VITTORIA COLONNA'S MAGDALEN 353

and would have sent him the picture at once ; but
as I wished to keep a replica of the work, it was
necessary to wait until the painter was able to copy-
it. Now it is finished, and I send the picture
to you by the bearer, praying you to present it
to the Signor Marchese in my name, saying how
much I wish it were even better than it is, although
if it pleases the Lady Marchesa, it cannot fail to be
very beautiful. And pray assure him — what, indeed,
he knows already — that anything else which I possess
is at his service." ^

In parting with her choicest pictures to gratify
the Emperor's favourites, Isabella was only following
the example of her brother Alfonso, who allowed
the Imperial secretary, Covos, to choose several of
the finest Titians at Ferrara, including his own por-
trait and that of his son Ercole. But it would be
interesting to know who was the painter of the
Magdalen which passed into the hands of Vittoria
Colonna. This accomphshed lady had already, as we
know, one Magdalen of surpassing beauty, painted by
Titian at the Duke of Mantua's request, and it is
doubtful if she wished for another. On the other
hand, a copy of a Magdalen by Titian is mentioned
in the inventory of 1627, and the relations of this
master with the Gonzagas were so frequent that
Vittoria's picture was probably his work, and may
have been copied from the small travelling-piece
which he painted for the Marchesa in 1530.

There is no doubt that Titian executed another
commission for Isabella about this time. This was the
fine portrait of herself now in the Imperial Gallery
at Vienna. This picture, which represents the Mar-

* Luzio in Rivista Maniovana, i. 19-
VOL. IL Z

354 TITIAN PAINTS

chesa in the full bloom of her beauty, although it was
painted in 1536, when she was already over sixty, has
always been a puzzle to critics and historians. But
new documents from the Archivio Gonzaga have been
recently brought to hght by Dr. Luzio, which ex-
plain the enigma, and make the whole case clear. ^
Titian had already, as we have seen, painted a por-
trait of Isabella at the age of fifty-five, when her
face and figure had lost their youthful grace, and
the Duke, who was fondly attached to his mother,
naturally wished to have a picture of the Marchesa
as she appeared in the flower of her age, by the
hand of his favourite master. Then Isabella re-
membered the portrait by Francia which had ex-
cited so much admiration when it was painted in
1511, and which, to her great regret, she had given
to Gianfrancesco Zaninello. At her request, the
brother of the Ferrarese collector, into whose hands
Francia's portrait had passed after Gianfrancesco's
death, lent Titian the precious picture, which the
great master promised to copy as soon as possible.
The negotiation was effected by means of one of
Isabella's constant correspondents at Ferrara, the
humanist Stabellino, who generally signs himself
" Apollo " or " Demogorgon " in his letters. On
the 3rd of March 1534, this writer addressed the
following letter to her from the Schifanoia palace,
where he was staying with Duchess Renee, begging
for the return of the portrait : —

" Dear and most honoured Lady, — About three
or four months ago, Your Excellency desired that
I should ask Zaninello, the brother of the late
Giovanni Francesco Zaninello, for your portrait, in

^ Luzio in Emporium, 1900, p. 432.

ISABELLA'S PORTRAIT 355

order that I might send it to you at Mantua, with
the promise that it should be returned to him in
about a month's time. I asked him for the picture,
and he gave it me gladly, and 1 sent it to Your
Highness. But the portrait has never been returned.
Zaninello has asked me several times about this, and
has begged me earnestly to write and ask you to send
his picture back, if you have no objection, since he
wishes to keep it for your sake, and in remembrance
of the devoted attachment which he has long borne
and still bears you. — Your servant, Apollo."

On receiving this note, Isabella wrote off at once
to Benedetto Agnello : —

" Since the lender of our portrait which Messer
Titian had to copy begs earnestly that it may be
returned, we desire you to recover the picture, and
send it to us by a discreet and trusty person, packed
in such a manner that it may not run any risk of being
injured." Mantua, March 6, 1534.

But Titian, it is plain, had not yet begun the
portrait which he was to paint from Francia's ori-
ginal, and two whole years passed before the work
was finished. On the 5th of May 1536, when the
Emperor was in Italy again, and the Duke of
Mantua went to meet him at Asti, Isabella once
more renewed her oft-repeated entreaty, and begged
Agnello to ask Titian to return the borrowed portrait.
The ambassador wrote in reply from Venice: " Titian
is not here ; he started for Mantua some days ago,
and followed the Duke to court, intending to return
with him to Mantua, where Your Excellency will
see him before I do, and can speak to him yourself
about ZanineUo's portrait, and order him to return it
as soon as he reaches home.**

856 FROM FRANCIA'S ORIGINAL

On the 29th of May, Isabella wrote to acknow-
ledge the receipt of Titian's portrait, which had at
length reached her : —

" Our portrait by the hand of Titian pleases us
so much that we doubt if we were ever as beautiful
as this, even at the age at which he has represented
us. We have been thinking of making some return
to Titian for the trouble which he has had, but have
decided to wait until he sends back Zaninello's por-
trait, which you will beg him to restore, in order that
it may be given back to those gentlemen who have
been expecting it so impatiently, and, it must be
owned, with good reason." ^

This second portrait of Isabella by Titian was
also copied by Peter Paul Rubens when he was at
Mantua in the early years of the seventeenth century,
and his replica was engraved by Vorsterman, whose
print bears the inscription : Isabella Estensis, Fran-
cisci Gonzagce, March. MantovcBy uxor. E. Titiard
prototypo. P. P. Rubens ex. The engraving agrees
exactly with the portrait by Titian, which came to
Vienna in the Archduke Leopold's collection, and
there can be no doubt that this handsome and richly-
dressed young princess is Isabella d'Este, as she was
when Francia painted her twenty-five years before.
The features bear a marked likeness to those of her
daughter Leonora ; the blue eyes remind us that
Isabella had found fault with the Bologna master
for not making her eyes dark enough, and the
wavy hair retains the golden hue which Equicola and
Trissino compare to the radiant locks of Petrarch's
Laura. On her head we see the favourite jewelled
cap, while the old pattern of interlaced links, de-

^ Luzio, Emporium, 1 900, p. 432.

TITIAN'S PICTURE AT VIENNA 357

signed for her by Niccolo da Correggio and Leon-
ardo long ago, is repeated in the gold and silver
embroidery of the pale blue sleeves. A black velvet
camora or pehsse, trimmed with ermine, is thrown
over her shoulders ; a white muslin chemisette and
frills set off the dazzling fairness of her skin, and pearl
earrings and a pearl brooch in her head-dress are her
only ornaments. This portrait, admirably painted as
it is, naturally lacks the life and character of Leon-
ardo's drawing, and is without the force that distin-
guishes Rubens's copy of the earlier Titian. We feel
that the beautiful Marchesa herself never sat for this
picture, and that fii'st Francia, and after him Titian,
worked from another artist's design. We admire the
grace and elegance of Isabella's attire, and are able
to form some idea of her features, but we miss the
keen intelligence and sparkling vivacity that were
the most striking marks of her vivid and brilhant
personality.

CHAPTER XLII

1531—1537

Relations of Isabella with Ferrara — Stabellino's letters — Duchess
Renee and her child Anna d'Este — Death of Duke Alfonso —
Isabella's trip to the Lake of Garda — Her favourite dwarfs —
The government of Solarolo — Leonora of Urbino — Her son
Guidobaldo's marriage — Manufacture of embroidered stuffs and
caps at Mantua — Isabella's majolica dinner services — Plates in
the Museo Correr and British Museum — Cardinal Gonzaga
sends his mother a medal of Aristotle — Her interest in gar-
dening — The gardens at Porto — Trissino begs the help of her
gardener at his villa of Cricoli.

The strong family affection which was so striking a
feature in Isabella's character became deepened and
intensified in her declining years. Nothing is more
remarkable than the warmth and constancy with
which she clung to her old home and friends at
Ferrara, in these last days. She still paid frequent
visits to her brother's court, and received weekly
letters from Girolamo da Sestola, while the witty
noveUst Stabellino kept her fully informed of
everything that happened at Ferrara. Now that
Duke Alfonso had at length recovered Modena and
Reggio, a new era of peace and prosperity set in,
and the court resumed its old gaiety. Stabellino's
letters abound in descriptions of the fetes that were
held at the Schifanoia, and of the costumes worn by
Duchess Renee and her ladies. Isabella, as usual,
was anxious to hear every detail, and the novelist

RENEE'S COURT 359

did his best to satisfy her curiosity. He tells her
how one evening the Duchess entertained the ladies
of the court at the Schifanoia, and appeared in a
blue satin robe with a high collar in the French
fashion, but with sleeves slashed to " show the white
chemisette, such as our ladies wear," a gold fillet,
little black velvet cap with a white feather on her
head. Six of her ladies wore black satin, and
six were robed in crimson, with the same velvet
caps and gold fillets, while the Queen of Naples's
daughters were clad in Italian fashion with low-cut
bodices and bare necks. A week afterwards Rende
appeared in the park at Belfiore, wearing a black
satin robe in the French style, but a gold cap of
Mantuan cut, which, not being a French fashion,
greatly exercised the tongues of her guests, although
StabeUino remarks : " It is said she wore this cap to
hide her ears, or perhaps from fear of cold."^ A few
months later he reports that Madame de Soubise has,
it is plain, persuaded the Duchess to give up the
Portuguese fashion then in vogue in Italy, and return
to the French style of dress. " All our ladies," he
adds, " are on the tip-toe of expectation to see what
fashions she adopts, and are ready to follow her."
Unfortunately the influence of Madame de Soubise
extended to other matters besides dress, and became
the cause of serious troubles, which ended in her dis-
grace and return to France. But, as long as Duke
Alfonso lived, Renee remained comparatively tranquil,
and in November 1533, the birth of a son, who re-
ceived his grandfather's name, and had Pope Clement
VII. for his sponsor, was the cause of great rejoicings.
Two years before this, the Duchess had given birth

1 Fontana, op. cit., i. 144.

360 ANNA D'ESTE

to a daughter, who was christened Anna, after her
grandmother, Anne de Bretagne, and was said to bear
a striking resemblance to her great-aunt, Isabella.

On the 24th of January 1532, that kindly old
gossip, Sestola, wrote to Isabella : " As our Lady
Duchess rode to-day in her litter, to see the tourna-
ment at the Schifanoia, she called me to walk by her
side, and asked me what I thought of her baby,
who is indeed a beautiful child. She told me that
our Signor had said that she was a little like Your
Excellency when you were a child. I replied that I
thought so too, and that I had seen a portrait of Your
Signoria at Mantua which certainly resembled the
little girl. The Duchess immediately told me to write
to Your Excellency, and beg you to send her this
portrait, which is one that I saw in the house of la
Brogna, when we went to see her babe christened.
The portrait is one of Your Highness as a child, if I
remember right, wearing a garland or wreath on your
brow, with a clasp in the centre of the forehead. I
think that you must have given the picture to Brogna,
because you showed it to me when we were at her
house. Will Your Excellency kindly ask Brogna
for the portrait, and let me have it ? and when the
Duchess has seen it, I promise to send it back safely.
The Duchess never lets the baby go out of her sight,
and she is certainly a very fine child." ^

Isabella sent the portrait by the next courier to
Ferrara, with the following note : " I send my por-
trait to gratify the Duchess, and think this must be
the one you mean, because it was taken when I was
about three years old. You will be able to judge
if it bears any resemblance to Her Excellency's

1 Luzio in Emporium, 1900, p, 345.

HER LIKENESS TO ISABELLA 361

little daughter, and if, please God, she is at all like
me in the Duke's opinion, I shall be greatly de-
lighted. I have given another portrait, which was
taken after my marriage, to the court painter here,
to be restored, and will send it to you as soon as this
is done, but should be glad to have both of them
back again. Commend me to the Duchess."

On the 8th of February, Girolamo wrote to say
that both the portraits had reached him safely. " I
took them at once to the Duchess, who was more
delighted with them than I can say, and we went
to look at the child directly. Certainly, my dear
lady, the portrait of you is very like her — from the
nose downwards, her face is exactly your own. Every
one who has seen your portrait says that it bears the
strongest resemblance to the child, and so Her Ex-
cellency has begged to be allowed to keep it for this
carnival."^

Before the portraits were returned, the Duke
ordered them both to be copied, so that some likeness
of the Marchesa should remain at Ferrara, and that
he should keep these recollections of his sister before
his eyes. Isabella was highly gratified, and took
especial interest in this httle Anna d'Este, who
was, one day, to become the wife of Duke Francis
of Guise, and hand down the yellow locks of Lucrezia
Borgia and the charm of the Este princesses to the
heirs of the house of Lorraine.

In May 1534, Alfonso d'Este went to Milan for
the wedding of his nephew Francesco Sforza. It may
have been at his suggestion that his favourite master
Titian painted the portraits of the bridegroom and of
his youthful bride^ the Emperor's niece, Christina of

* Luzio, op. cit.

362 DEATH OF ALFONSO D'ESTE

Denmark. In the following autumn, Duke Alfonso
died very suddenly, on the 31st of October 1534, only
three months after his enemy, Pope Clement VII.
But the loss of this brother, to whom Isabella had
been so tenderly attached from her earliest childhood,
made no difference in the ties which bound her to
Ferrara. The Marchesa's relations with his children
remained as intimate as before, and when in the
winter of 1536 Renee was ill, and suffering after the
birth of her second daughter Lucrezia, Duke Ercole
wrote to his aunt, begging her to spend carnival at
FeiTara, and amuse his sick wife. Isabella gladly
responded to his appeal, and on the 30th of January,
wrote to tell her son Duke Federico of her safe arrival
at Ferrara. " To-day I arrived here half-aij-hour
after nightfall, and was received by the Archbishop
[her nephew Ippolito] four miles from Ferrara,
and found the Duke and many nobles and ladies
awaiting me on the banks of the river. They
escorted me with Hghted torches to my lodgings
in the Corte Vecchia of the Castello, opposite
the Church of San Domenico. Soon afterwards I
visited the Duchess, who has had a touch of fever,
but nothing very serious, and then went into the hall
to see the dancing begin." A few days later she
wrote again, and spoke of enjoying the company of
the Duke and Duchess, and of a supper given by
Ercole in the new rooms of the palace, " which was
followed by a concert of varied and excellent music,
and afterwards by dancing till bed-time."^

Isabella, it is evident, had lost none of her powers
of enjoyment with advancing age, and the high
spirits and keen interest with which she entered into

^ Fontana, op. cit.

THE LAGO DI GARDA 363

the amusements of the younger generation, made
her presence welcome. Her love of travel was still
as great as ever. In the spring of 1535, she took
another expedition, accompanied by her favourite
ladies and courtiers, to the shores of the Lago di
Garda,^ and once more visited Sermione and Sal6,
and all the lovely Riviera where she and Elisa-
betta of Urbino had spent that happy spring-time
long ago. On this occasion her pet dwarf, Mor-
gantino, was one of the party, and his tricks and
pleasantries delighted the people who lived on
the shores of the lake. Sometimes the peasants
crowned him with flowers and leaves, and he danced
morescas on the shores of the lake, or joined in the
dances of the country folk, to their great delight.
One day as he drove from Cavriana on the box of
the Marchesa's coach, a violent storm of rain came
on, and if Morgantino had not promptly taken re-
fuge inside the carriage he must have been drowned,
remarked one of the party, " like a fine chicken ! "

This Morgantino was a very favourite dwarf,
who accompanied the Marchesa to Rome in 1527,
and charmed Cardinal Pisani so much at Venice in
1530, that Isabella allowed this reverend prelate to
keep him for several weeks. He and Delia may
have been the Nanino and Nanina to whom we find
frequent allusions in the Marchesa's letters at this
period of her life, and who became the parents of
a race of pet dwarfs. Nanina was sent to Bologna
when Isabella was there for the Emperor's corona-
tion, and two years afterwards, the Marchesa offered
Duchess Rende one of her children, who bade fair
to be as small as herself. " Four years ago," she

^ D'Ancona, Teatro, ii. ; Ferrato, Del Viaggio, &c., p. 43,

364 VISITS TO SOLAROLO

wrote to one of Renee's ladies, " I promised Madame
Renee to give her the first girl who was born to my
dwarfs. As she knows, the puttina is now two years
old, and will no doubt remain a dwarf, although she
hardly gives hopes of being as tiny as my Delia.
She is now able to walk alone and without a guide,
if the Duchess wishes to have her." Another " bella
Nanina" was sent by the Marchesa to Ferrante
Gonzaga's wife in October 1533, and the young
princess wrote a grateful letter to her mother-in-
law% saying that the dwarf was the sweetest and
gentlest creature in the world, and afforded her
infinite amusement."^

In these last years Isabella's travels were chiefly
limited to Ferrara and Venice, and only occasionally
extended to her Uttle fief of Solarolo. The frequent
letters which she addressed to the governor and
magistrates of this favoured town are stiU preserved
in the Archivio Gonzaga,^ and are said to be
models of wise and far-sighted administration.
While she did not shrink from repressing riot and
disorder sternly, she insisted on the most scrupulous
regard for justice, and neglected nothing which
could promote the welfare of her subjects. After
Isabella's death the little principality passed to her
younger grandson, Luigi Gonzaga, who inherited
the Duchy of Nevers through his wife, and sold
Solarolo in 1574 to Pope Gregory XIII.^

Isabella's affection for her daughter Leonora had
never been as great and absorbing as that which she
cherished for her sons, and after the death of the

1 Luzio e Renier in Nuova Antologia, 1891, p. 134.

2 Luzio in Arch. St. Lomb., 1901, p. 146.
8 Litta, Famiglie, vol. iii. tav, 35.

LEONORA GONZAGA 365

Duchess Elisabetta, misunderstandings often arose
between Federico Gonzaga and his brother-in-law,
which made a division between the two families.
But in her last years Isabella became more closely
drawn towards Leonora, and her heart yearned over
this daughter who had left home so young, and had
known so much trouble. After her return from
Rome in 1527, when Leonora was taking the baths of
Albano, Isabella spoke very affectionately of her to a
Dominican friar, who reported the conversation to
the Duchess. "The other day," he wrote, "Madama,
your Illustrious Mother and my honoured mistress,
spoke of Your Excellency and of all the miseries
and ill-health which you have endured, and ex-
pressed the greatest distress and anxiety on your
account. Twice over Her Excellency repeated
these words : ' The poor child has really been cruelly
tormented by fortune I She has really never had
any happiness ; I only wonder she has not died of
grief I ' And she repeated these words, as if she
herself shared your sufferings, so that I can tell
Your Excellency I felt quite consoled, and could
see that she spoke from the bottom of her heart.
I have always known her kind and loving to Your
Excellency, but now I see how much deep affection
and sympathy she feels for you. ... So Your Ex-
cellency must take courage, and together with the
benefit which you derive from the waters and your
prayers, this good news may help to give you long
and happy days." ^

In 1533, Leonora spent the spring months at
Mantua, and gave birth to a son named Giulio,
who entered the Church, and afterwards became a
^ Luzio e Renier, MatUova, p. 281.

366 COSTUMES AND FASHIONS

Cardinal. In the following year her eldest son,
Guidobaldo, the boy who had received his first lessons
in Virgil at his grandmother's knee, was married to
Giulia Varana, the heiress of Camerino. Isabella
had always been on friendly terms with this family,
and kept up an active correspondence with the
Duchess of Camerino, who was related to the house
of Este. The bride's trousseau, on this occasion, was
chiefly made at JNIantua, under the personal super-
vision of the Marchesa, who wrote to tell the Duchess
that the embroideries were all in hand, and should
be finished as soon as possible. '* I quite hope," she
adds, " that they may be as beautiful and perfect as I
should wish, since, as Your Highness knows, there
are, in this city, persons of gi-eat skill and knowledge
in this branch of art." ^ Thus, even in her old age,
Isabella maintained her reputation for elegance and
fine taste, and foreign queens and princesses still
looked to her as the glass of fashion. The French
Queen warmly appreciated a gift of a dozen pairs
of gloves which Isabella sent her one Christmas,
and the gold-embroidered caps or scuffiotti which
were made from her patterns at Mantua, became
famous throughout Italy. When Lucrezia Borgia
first married she begged for one of these caps, and
when in later years Duke Alfonso was growing bald,
Bartolomeo Ziliolo asked Isabella to send him some
very beautiful caps, elegantly worked in gold and
silver, which he had seen at Mantua, and received
five of the best specimens which the Marchesa could
lay hands on, by express.^ Again, in 1518, we find
Raphael and Castiglione's friend the historian, Andrea

1 Luzio in Nuova Antologia, 1 896.

2 Bertolotti, Artisti, &c.

URBINO MAJOLICA 367

Navagero, thanking Equicola for the gold scuffiotto
which he has sent his innamorata, and which this
fair lady wears with all the more pleasure because it
is made after a new fashion which has not yet been
seen in Venice. In those days when the Court of
the Gonzagas had gained a world-wide celebrity, a
band of Mantuan embroiderers emigrated to London,
and settled at the Court of Henry VIII., where
they found speedy employment.

The word " Mantua-maker " is said to owe its
origin to these Italian emigrants, and it was the fame
of Isabella d'Este that inspired Leigh Hunt's well-
known Unes :

" Mantua of every age the long renown,
That now a Virgil giv'st, and now a gown ! "

Another artistic manufacture which Isabella
patronised throughout her life, and on which she
left her mark, was the majolica of Urbino. Many
commissions for this beautiful ware were given by
her to the workers of Casteldurante and Pesaro.
In 1523, Alfonso d'Este sent an artist named
Antonio da Faenza, who was working for him at
Ferrara, to his sister at Mantua, with several fine
dishes and plates of his manufacture. " If you wish
for similar works of equal beauty," wrote the Duke,
"you have only to give your orders to Maestro
Antonio, who will not fail to satisfy you." ^ And
in 1530, when Calandra wrote to order a dinner
service, or credenza, Picenardi, the poet who fre-
quently corresponded with the Marchesa, replied :
" I have been to Urbino, where I saw many ad-
mirable pieces of majolica, painted with landscapes,

1 Bertolotti in Arch. St. Lomb., xvi, 832.

868 ISABELLA'S DINNEK-SERVICE

fables, and stories of surpassing beauty. I in-
quired about the service which you ordered. It
is impossible to give any idea of the price without
knowing the quality and quantity of the pieces
required. But they tell me that one of the large
dishes would be about two and a half ducats, and
the smaller ones a ducat, or a ducat and a half
each. Bowls and round dishes are three or four
ducats a-piece, according to the style of workman-
ship, which varies considerably in excellence," ^

Many pieces of the magnificent dinner services
which once belonged to Isabella are still in exist-
ence, and may be seen in public and private
collections. There are seventeen plates in the
Correr Museum at Venice, bearing the Este and
Gonzaga arms, and painted with graceful mytho-
logical figures — Apollo playing the viol, and Orpheus
charming the wild beasts with his magic song — in
which MoreUi recognised the hand of Raphael's
master, Timoteo Viti. Another plate, painted with
Isabella's favourite device of musical notes and
rests, may be seen in the Bologna Museum ; while
several richly - coloured dishes are in the British
Museum. The last-named pieces all bear the Este
and Gonzaga arms, supported by winged boys, and
the motto Nee spe nee metu. Two of the largest
dishes are decorated with groups of Apollo slaying
the Python, and Daphne turning into the laurel
bush as the Sun-god lays his hand upon her.^ But
the finest of all is the seodella or bowl in M.
Alphonse de Rothschild's collection in Paris, which
M. Jacquemart has called the masterpiece of ItaUan

^ Campori, Notisie, &c., p. 111.

' LermoliefF, Gallerie zu Berlin, p. 219> &C-

A FAMOUS BOWL 369

majolica.^ Here the ground is blue, and the Marchesa's
arms, including the fleur-de-lys which the Este were
privileged to wear, are blazoned in colours on a
shield, supported by putti, while below a troop of
winged boys are represented, with banners in their
hands, and a scroll inscribed with the words, Nee
spe nee metu. Both for elegance of shape and
quality of paste, as well as for the grace of the
painted figures and charm of the whole decoration,
this centre-piece, which once adorned Isabella's
dinner-table, remains unsurpassed. All of these ex-
quisite specimens are now recognised to be the work
of Nicolo Pellipario of Casteldurante, who Uved at
Urbino between 1520 and 1530, and many of them
still bear the monogram of this fine artist, whose
rare merit our Marchesa was quick to discover and
turn to good account.

But fond as Isabella was of fine majolica and
rich stuffs, of elegant costumes and deUcate em-
broideries, the love of antiques remained her ruling
passion. Of all her contemporaries none was more
fully dominated by that " foolish madness," to which
Zuan Francesco Vaher referred, when he sent her
an antique marble head which had just arrived from
Rhodes, and was greatly admired in Venice, although
he fears it may seem a vile thing among the treasures
of the Grotta. Isabella thanked her Venetian friend
in rapturous terms, which made him say that if the
head had been made of diamonds and rubies, she
could not have expressed more gratitude.

Her delight was still greater when, in August,
1536, Cardinal Ercole, the one of her sons who
inherited the most of his mother's scholarly tastes,

1 GazcLle d. B. Arts, xix. 397.
VOL. II. 2 A

370 A MEDAI. OF ARISTOTLE

sent her a cast of a portrait-medal of Aristotle which
had lately been discovered in Rome. Pomponazzi's
old pupil appreciated the worth of this rare treasure
to the full, and felt sure that his mother would
understand the deep interest which he felt in con-
templating the features of the great philosopher.

" Most illustrious Lady, and dearest Mother, —
Since a very ancient medal bearing the head of
Aristotle has lately been found here, a number of
casts and impressions have been taken from it.
After a great deal of trouble I have at length
succeeded in obtaining one of these, which I now
send to Your Excellency, so that as it is impos-
sible to obtain the medal itself, which is no longer
here, you may at least have a cast that shows the face
of this divine man. And certainly, if ever the
reverse of a medal was suitable and appropriate, it
is this figure of the Goddess of Nature, concerning
whom Aristotle reasoned so well that he seemed
to penetrate to the very marrow of her bones. 1
shall be pleased if this cast satisfies Your Excellency,
whose hands I kiss humbly, knowing that the sight
of my hand-writing will show you that I am in
good health, in spite of the excessive heat." ^ From
Rome, August 17, 1536.

To the last this wonderful woman retained that
overmastering love of beauty, alike in art or nature,
which had distinguished her from early youth. The
spring loveliness of the shores of Garda and the blue
waters of that sunny lake still excited her enthusiasm
as keenly as of old, and she was never tired of im-
proving and adorning the gardens of Porto. In
these last years of her life she spent much time in

^ Bertolotti, Artisii, &c.

THE GARDENS AT PORTO 371

this favourite retreat, which was so closely connected
with her happiest days. Here was the Casino which
Biagio Rossetti, the Ferrarese architect, had reared
on the pattern of the summer-house in her mother's
garden, and the Boschetto which she had planted in
the year her father died. Here was the sumptuous
marble fountain, with its reliefs and statues, designed
by the Lombard sculptor who had wrought Beatrice's
tomb, and the loggia where Castiglione loved to
linger on summer evenings, and the green lawns
and quiet places which soothed the sorrows of the
good Dominican scholar who was torn away from
his beloved books. Here, too, was the shady grove
of plane trees on the banks of the rushing stream,
where Bandello loved to sit on the fine short grass
telling his stories to princes and humanists, while
Isabella and her ladies rested in the hot noontide.
Here were the sylvan arbours and Arcadian haunts
sung by Niccolo Libumio, the parish priest of S.
Fosca in Venice, who dedicated his pastoral poems
to the Marchesa. ** I sing the praises of the de-
licious gardens of Porto, green with perpetual ver-
dure, musical with the voice of waters, glowing with
luscious fruits and sweetest flowers."^ They were
dead and gone, those briUiant guests whose gay
voices once woke the echoes of the rocks and filled
the woodland glades with music and laughter. But
the flowers which the Venetian poet had sung, the rare
plants and choice exotics which Isabella had collected
with so much pains and expense, were still the pride
of the gardens. The grass was still as green and
the sound of the running waters fell as pleasantly
on the ear, as in the days when Elisabetta Gonzaga
^ N. LiburniOj Le Selvette.

372 TKISSINO'S GARDEN

and Emilia Pia walked hand-in-hand together under
the trees.

The Marchesa herself took great interest in the
practical side of gardening, and was careful to see
that the fruit-trees were pruned and the box and
yew hedges clipped at the proper season. She often
sent her gardener to see the finest gardens in Venice,
and occasionally allowed him, as a great favour, to
give advice to her friends. In April, 1537, the old
humanist, Trissino, wrote to tell Isabella of the
neglected state in which he found his garden at Cricoli
— '* A villa," he explained, " no farther from Vicenza
than Porto is from Mantua" — and begged that her
gardener might be allowed to come there for two or
three days and teach him how to trim his box-
trees and give him advice "as to many other things
which the garden needs sadly." The Marchesa
graciously complied with her old friend's request,
and sent the gardener to Cricoli with the following
note : " Dearest and Magnificent Friend, — My natural
wish to oblige you renders me prompt to satisfy your
prayer for a visit from my gardener. I send him to
you to-day, only begging that, as soon as he has done
what is necessary to your trees, you will send him
back at once, because my place at Porto is in great
need of him just now. Let me know if I can do
anything else to help you." April 4, 1537.

At the end of six days the gardener returned to
Porto, bearing with him the following note from
Trissino : " Most Illustrious and Excellent Lady,—
The coming of Your Excellency's gardener has
proved of the greatest value to me, especially as
the weather has been very rainy of late. His advice
has been of great use to my garden, which has been

AT CRICOLI 373

put into thorough order by the man whom he
brought liere. For this I render you infinite thanks,
because the greater the need, the more grateful and
agreeable to me his visit has been. I know not what
to give or offer you in return for your kindness in
sending him so promptly ; but since myself and all
that I possess have long been placed at Your Ex-
cellency's service, I can only repeat that I hold
myself ever at your disposal. I send back the
gardener forthwith, so that your garden of Porto
may no longer be put to inconvenience."^

^ B. Morsolin, G. G. l^iissino.

CHAPTER XLIII

1537—1539

Visit of Leonora, Duchess of Urbino to Mantua — Titian's portraits
of the Duke and Duchess — Death of Francesco Maria — Of
Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan — Of Luigi Rodomonte and
Antonia del Balzo — Visit of Pietro Bembo — The collections of
the Grotta — Paintings and library of Isabella d'Este — Vittoria
Colonna — Last visit of Isabella d'Este to Ferrara — Her love
for her grandchildren — Duke Ercole lends her his palace at
Venice — Her last illness and death — Her tomb in S. Francesco
destroyed by the French — Death of Duke Federico — The
Mantuan collections sold and the Castello sacked — Character
of Isabella d'Este.

In May, 1537, Leonora, Duchess of Urbino arrived
unexpectedly at Mantua, to the great satisfaction of
Isabella, who wrote on the 30th to tell her son, Fer-
rante, that he alone of all her children was absent
from this family meeting. " The news which I have
to give you of myself to-day is that for the present I
am quite well, and all the happier because I have the
unexpected delight of enjoying the presence not only
of Monsignore Reverendissimo (her son, Cardinal Er-
cole), but of our dear Duchess of Urbino, who arrived
here three days ago, and from what she says herself,
as well as from her appearance, seems to be in the
best of health."

Leonora came from Venice, where her husband had
just been appointed Captain-General of the combined
armies of the Emperor, the Pope, the Signoria, and
was to lead the forces of the League against the

374

DEATH OF THE DUKE OF URBINO 375

Turks. Here the Duke and Duchess both sat to
Titian for the noble portraits which may be seen
to-day in the Uffizi, and which Pietro Aretino cele-
brated in two sonnets addressed to Vittoria Colonna.
Both paintings are masterpieces of their kind, and the
olive tones of Francesco Maria's face, his martial air
and gleaming armour form a fine contrast to his
wife's refined grace and rich brocades. Here at least
there is no attempt to hide the ravages which time
and trouble had wrought on Leonora's once lovely
face. The charms and graces of youth are gone, and
the Duchess, we are reminded, is already a grand-
mother and a matron of seven - and - forty years.
Within a year she was a widow, for on the 22nd of
October, 1538, Francesco Maria died very suddenly
at Pesaro.

Death, which had already carried off most of
Isabella's contemporaries, was now busy with the
younger generation. On All Souls' Day, 1535,
only a year and a half after his marriage, her nephew
Francesco, Duke of Milan, died and the grave closed
over the last prince of the great house of Sforza.
Nearer home, among the Gonzaga princes, there
had of late been many deaths. The venerable
Antonia del Balzo had already lost two of her
sons, the brave Federico da Bozzolo and Pirro,
who, with his wife, Camilla Bentivoglio, had long
held a brilliant court at Gazzuolo. A sadder and
more unexpected blow was the death of the gallant
Luigi Rodomonte, who died at Vicovaro in Decem-
ber, 1532, of a wound received in fighting against
the Orsini, leaving one child of a year old. This
little boy, the sole issue of his father's romantic
marriage, bore his grandfather's name of Vespasiano,

376 OF ANTONIA DEL BALZO

and afterwards became famous as the ruler of Sab-
bioneta, where the splendour of his court rivalled
that of Mantua, and won for this little city the title
of the new Athens. The loss of her beloved grand-
son in the flower of his age was a grievous blow to
Luigi's aged grandmother. She never rallied fiom the
shock, but lingered on till the summer of 1538, when
she passed away at the great age of ninety-seven,
deeply lamented by the subjects over whom she had
reigned so long, and widely honoured as the mother
of a long Une of heroic sons and beautiful daughters.

The Duchess of Urbino left Mantua in June,
1537, and never saw her mother again. Soon after
her departure, Isabella received a visit from an old
friend, whom she had not seen for many years. This
was none other than Pietro Bembo, the last survivor
of the old Urbino group. The distinguished human-
ist, who now rarely left the sweet solitude of his
country home, and preferred watching the swallows
circling in the blue air and the tender green of the
climbing vines to all the pomp of the Imperial Court,
came to Mantua once more that summer. "The
Magnifico Bembo has arrived here," wrote the
Castellan, Gian Giacomo Calandra, "to pay his
respects to the Duke, and visit Madama Illustris-
sima, and to see all their Excellencies' fine places." ^

After his return to Padua, Bembo wrote to tell
the Duchess of Urbino how much he had missed
her at Mantua, where he spent five or six days
very happily with the Marchesa, seeing all the
wonderful new halls and paintings of the ducal
palaces. There was much to excite his admiration,
both in the Castello itself and in the Duke's new

1 V, Cian in Giom. Ster., 1887,

VISIT OF BEMBO 377

Palazzo del T^, with all Messer Giulio's frescoes
and decorations. There was the Palazzina, where
the young Duchess lived, and the superb Sala di
Troja, which Messer Giuho had just completed in the
new wing of the Corte Vecchia, and for which Titian
was painting his great series of the Twelve Caesars.
There were the Marchesa's own rooms, the new
apartment of the Paradiso with its charming decora-
tions, and the lovely view over the lakes and the
green slopes of Virgil's home. And there was the
fair Cortile of the Grotta, with its slender marble
columns and pavement of majolica tiles, each with
a separate device and meaning, and the adjoining
Studio with its priceless treasures of painting and
sculpture. Many were the new pictures and marbles
which the Marchesa had to show her old friend,
many the precious objects with which she had
enriched her collection since the first visit which
Bembo had paid to Mantua thirty years before.
Here, in marked contrast to the noble severity of
Mantegna's grisailles and the classical beauty of his
Parnassus, were the graceful allegories of Correggio,
with their softly-rounded forms and dainty grace,
the last word which the Renaissance had to say
before the fatal age of decadence set in. Here
were the brightly-coloured dreams of Lorenzo Costa,
the old Court-painter, who had only ended his long
life two years before, and the Holy Family by his
fi'iend, Gian Bellini, and those quaint fancies in
which the Ferrara master, Dosso Dossi, seems
to have caught the very breath of old romance.
Here above all were Titian's magnificent creations,
those unrivalled portraits, and splendid array of
Holy Families and Saints, painted in the same

378 TREASURES OF THE GROTTA

glowing colours, with the same exquisite landscapes,
bounded by the far blue peaks of Cadore. Here,
side by side with Mantegna's beloved Faustuia, and
the Greek marbles which Fra Sabba had collected
on his distant cruises among the isles of the Ionian
seas, were the antiques which Isabella herself had
rescued from the wreck of Rome, and the sleep-
ing Cupid which had come to take its place by that
other famous putto which Michelangelo's hands had
fashioned, and Ceesar Borgia had sent to Mantua.
Here, too, among the thousands of gold and silver
medals, of Greek and Roman coins, and engraved
gems which were arranged in cases and cabinets
along the walls of the Grotta, Bembo saw Cristo-
foro Romano's medal of Isabella herself, as he re-
membered the Marchesa in the flower of youth
and beauty. This admirable work is still preserved
in the Imperial Gallery at Vienna, with the same
rich setting of enamel and precious gems that is
described in the Inventory of 1542, where it is men-
tioned among the goods contained "in the middle
cabinet in the Grotta of Madama, in the Corte
Vecchia," as follows : " A gold medal with Her
Highness's efligy when she was young, bearing the
word Isabella in letters of diamonds, with rosettes
of red enamel, and a border of blue and white
enamelled rosettes, and on the reverse a figure of
Victory in relief." ^

Somewhere too, among the pictures hung on the
walls of the Castello, Bembo found his own portrait
set in a small frame of carved walnut, side by side
with those of his old master. Pope Leo X., and the
German reformers, Martin Luther and Erasmus of

1 V. Cian in Giom. Stor., 1S87. See vol. i. p. 170.

[Photo, Fremi, Mantua.

rAUADISO. CASTELLO in MANTOVA.

[To face p. 378, vol. ii.

PORTRAITS AND BRONZES 379

Rotterdam.^ This curiously assorted group of por-
traits is mentioned in an Inventory of Duke Fe-
derico's pictures found at Casale after his death,
and probably belonged to his mother, who had been
intimate with at least two of the group, and had
heard much of Luther and Erasmus from her
friend Chiericati.

But paintings and sculpture were not the only
treasures which Isabella's Grotta contained. There
was the alabaster organ which Castighone had
sent from Rome with so much toil and trouble.
There were Lorenzo da Pavia's viols and lutes of
inlaid ivory and ebony, and her sister Beatrice's
sweet-toned organ, and Caradosso's wonderful ebony
inkstand, adorned with silver statuettes and re-
liefs. There were antique bronzes, figures of ala-
baster and jasper, cabinets of porphyry and lapis-
lazuli, Murano glass of deHcate tints and rare
workmanship, precious vases, such as these which
Isabella asked Leonardo to choose from Lorenzo
dei Medici's collection, and crystal mirrors set in
rubies and diamonds and pearls, one of which was
valued at the enormous sum of 100,000 ducats.*

Of still greater interest in the Venetian scholar's
eyes were the rare books and manuscripts in the Mar-
chesa's hbrary of the Grotta. Her own love for these
had never changed, and only a year before, she had
succeeded in obtaining a copy of the history of
Josephus in the original from Venice. How eagerly
Bembo's eyes must have scanned the shelves where
his own Asolani stood among the presentation copies
of works by Uving poets, the Orlandos of Ariosto and

1 V. Cian, op. cit.

2 D'Arco, Arte e Artefici, vol. ii l6l.

380 ISABELLA'S LIBRARY

Boiardo, the sonnets and canzoni of Pistoja and
Niccolo da Correggio ! V\^ith what keen delight he
must have turned over the pages of illuminated
manuscripts of Petrarch and Boccaccio, and examined
these curious Books of Fortune and Dreams on which
the cultured ladies of those days set so much store 1
He must have looked with even greater reverence
on the rare copy of Eustathius which Pope Clement
VII. sent to borrow in 1525, because the Greek
scholar Lascaris had told Alberto Pio that Isabella's
manuscript was the most correct version in existence.^
The Revelations of St. Bridget and Prayers of St.
Catherine were probably less to the scholar's taste,
but we wonder if he paused to glance at Savonarola's
Sermons, or at the Commentary on the Fifty-first
Psalm which the gi-eat Dominican had written in
prison.^ More familiar to Bembo's eyes were the
Aldine classics, which had been mostly produced
under his own direction, and of which the Mar-
chesa we know possessed a complete set. Here too
was her choice collection of French and Spanish ro-
mances, and of Latin translations from Greek authors.
Among these Bembo found the famous Icones of
Philostratus which had supplied the greatest Vene-
tian painters with subjects for some of their finest
works, and which Isabella lent to her brother
Alfonso, when Titian was painting his Bacchanals
in the Castello of Ferrara. In the same haU
Bembo saw the terrestrial and celestial globes which
had been made after the pattern of those in the
Vatican library, and the Mappamondo which con-
tained the latest discoveries of Columbus and

1 Bibliufilo, i. 26.

2 Ibid., ix. 71-86.

THE WISEST OF WOMEN 381

Vasco da Gama, as well as Pigafetti's still more
recent account of Magellan's expedition. Here too
he found the collection of poems on the death of Isa-
bella's pet dog Aura, to which so many of his Roman
friends had contributed sonnets and epigrams, and
the latest volumes of Pasquino's witticisms in prose
and verse, which the Marchesa had received from
Rome. So wide and varied were the contents of
this Hbrary which Isabella had collected during
the last fifty years, and which it was her delight
to study with scholars as learned as Bembo. How
they must have talked — this accomplished lady
who had acquired the reputation of speaking Latin
better than any other woman of her day, and
the old humanist whom she loved "as dearly as a
brother." What memories of the past they must
have summoned up as they sat together among
their favourite books and pictures in the cool halls
of the Grotta and the Paradiso, or spent the long
summer evenings in the green shades of beautiful
Porto I How many famihar names must have been
recalled — how many vanished faces must have risen
before their eyes, as they looked back on the old
days, and the great age which was fast passing away 1
They may have met once more in the autumn of the
following year at Venice, but if Bembo never saw
Isabella d'Este again, the memory of this last visit to
Mantua made a deep impression on his mind, and in
a letter which he wrote soon afterwards to her son.
Cardinal Ercole, he pronounced the illustrious Mar-
chesa to be at once the wisest and most fortunate of
women. ^

Another old friend of Bembo spent that summer

^ V. Cian, op. cit.

382 VITTORIA COLONNA

at Ferrara, and was iirirently pressed by the IMarehesa
and her sons to visit Mantua. This was Vittoria
Colonna, who came to visit Duchess Ren(5e, and
stood sponsor in June to her new-born daughter, the
Leonora of Tasso's love.i One great object of the
Marchesa di Pescara's journey was to introduce the
gi-eat preacher Fra Bernardino Ochino to her friends
at Ferrara, and to obtain Duke Ercole's protection
for his new Order of Reformed Friars. In Lent, 1535,
Agostino Gonzaga had sent Isabella a long letter
from Rome, describing the enthusiasm which the
Friar's sermons were exciting in Rome. " He is a
man of most holy life himself, and his sermons are all
devoted to the exposition of the Gospels. His whole
object is to teach men how to walk in the steps of
Christ, and he has the most admirable fervour, as well
as a most perfect voice. He is not afraid of saying
what is good for his hearers, and aims his rebukes
chiefly at those in high station, so that all Rome
flocks to hear him. The Reverendissimo Medici is
never absent from his sermons, and most of the
Sacred College are to be seen here. My Reveren-
dissimo (Ercole Gonzaga) has been here twice, and was
beyond measure delighted with the sermons which he
heard, so I think he will continue to attend the
course." In the same letter Agostino tells Isabella
*• that the Marchesa di Pescara is always present at
these sermons, and is living in seclusion with the
Sisters of S. Silvestro, receiving no visits, and wearing
the humblest of habits, and is so devoted to religious
exercises that it is expected she will soon take the
veil."* Vittoria Colonna wrote herself to Ercole

^ Frizzi, Storia di Ferrara, iv. p, 321.
2 Luzio, liivista Mantovana, i. 26.

AT FERRARA 383

Gonzaga from Ferrara, asking him to give his
sanction to the new Order founded by Fra Ber-
nardino, in whose teaching she saw " a return to the
true and holy life of St. Francis." On the 18th of
June the young Cardinal answered her letter, begging
her to come to Mantua, and assuring her that she
would find far more spiritual and temporal delights in
this city than at Ferrara. There is a hospital Delia
Misericordia, which would, he is certain, abundantly
satisfy her charitable zeal, and the Duke and all his
family would rejoice to welcome her. Besides
which, he continues, '* this city is more Imperial in
its sympathies than the Emperor itself, and more
devoted to the Marchese del Vasto than any other in
Lombardy, all of which seems to claim the honour of
your presence. And I can promise you the company
of my two sisters, who are nuns, in whose society
you will find as much consolation as you would have
found in the company of the Holy Women who
stood at the foot of the Cross on Calvary." In a
postscript, the writer adds " that in his joy at the
thought of seeing her, and his longing to enjoy her
sweet conversation, he sees that he has forgotten to
answer her question about Fra Bernardino." ^

Another inducement which Ercole held out to
the Marchesa di Pescara, was the prospect of the
Council which Pope Paul III. had summoned to
meet in that city. But the Duke afterwards raised
objections, and the idea was eventually abandoned.
Vittoria, on her part, intended to visit Venice, and
had dreams of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, or to
the shrine of St. Mary Magdalene in Provence, but
in the end she remained with her beloved Duchess

^ G. Campori, Alti e Meinurie, iii. pt. ii. p. 8.

384 TULLIA OF ARAGON

at Ferrara. That Lent, Fra Bernardino Ochino
preached a course of sermons in the Duomo, and
within the last few months Ren^e had received both
Clement Marot and Calvin at her court, but now
Duke Ercole, in his anxiety to distract his wife's
thoughts from these subjects, gave a series of fetes
and tournaments in honour of his illustrious guests.
Another very different lady, Tullia, the illegitimate
daughter of the Cardinal of Aragon, was also at
Ferrara that summer, and charmed all the Este
princes as she had charmed the Cardinals in Rome
and the ambassadors of the Imperial Court at Bologna.
Ippolito dei Medici wrote sonnets in her praise, and
all the wits and scholars of the day were at her feet.
Stabellino's letters to Isabella are full of Tullia's
charms. " Your Excellency," he wrote in June, 1537,
"will have heard that a noble Roman lady, called
Signora Tullia, is spending some months here. She is
very gentle, discreet and clever, and endowed with the
rarest gifts of body and mind. She sings all manner
of songs, reads music at sight, and her conversation
is altogether unique, while her manners are so
charming, that there is neither a man nor a woman
here who can hold a candle to her, not even the
Most Illustrious Marchesa di Pescara. This lady
knows everything, and is ready to talk with others
on any subject they may choose. Her house is fuU
of the most learned men, and the doors are open to
all, but she is abundantly supplied with money and
jewels, and has in fact everything that she requires." ^
Vittoria Colonna was still at Ferrara when, after
Christmas, Isabella paid her usual visit to Ercole's
court, and attended the Carnival fetes. On the 23rd

^ Luzio, Eivista MaiUovana, i. 33.

LAST VISIT TO FERRARA 385

of February, 1538, she took leave of her hosts, and
the Cardinal of Ravenna, Benedetto Accolti, wrote
the following letter to Ercole Gonzaga : —

" This morning, the Signora Marchesa di Pescara
started for Bologna, to the incredible grief of His
Excellency the Duke, of myself, and of the whole
city. We have indeed been divinely entertained by
her presence, and can only comfort ourselves with the
promises which she has made to return before long.
Last night we enjoyed a rare treat. The Duke and
I, as well as the Marchesa, supped with your most
Illustrious Mother, and after supper the Marchesa
read us five sonnets of her composition, which were
so beautiful that I do not think an angel from heaven
could have written anything more perfect. After
these recitations, which gave us all infinite pleasure,
the ladies of Madama, your mother, appeared, and
with them Signora Anna, who played some pieces
on the graviccmhalo excellently. Then Morgantino
came in with Deha, and jumped and danced together,
and did great things with their little persons.
Signora Anna then joined them, and danced several
dances alia gagliarda, which gave the Marchesa di
Pescara, and the Duke, and every one, the greatest
pleasure. We were all of us convinced, that if the
Goddess Nature herself had danced before us, she
could not have danced in more perfect time, and with
more exquisite grace." ^

Signora Anna was the Duke's six-year-old daugh-
ter, the bright and intelligent httle girl who resembled
her great aunt so strongly,and had evidently inherited
the Marchesa's musical tastes. All Duchess Renee's
children were trained to act and dance before the

^ G. Campori, Atti e Memorie, iii. pt. ii. p. 12.
VOL. II. 2 B

386 ISABELLA'S GRANDCHILDREN

illustrious guests who visited their father's court.
When, a few years later, Pope Paul III. came to
Ferrara, they acted a Latin comedy, the Adelphi of
Terence, for the amusement of His HoUness, Anna
taking the lover's part on this occasion, and her
youngest brother Luigi, a child of four, appearing in
the part of a slave. ^

Soon after this festive evening, which had given
her guests so much pleasure, Isabella returned to
Mantua and spent the summer quietly at home.
We catch one pleasant glimpse of her in a letter
addressed to Duke Federico, in which she dwells
with all a grandmother's delight on the charms and
cleverness of his children.

"I have just returned," she wrote, "from my
villa at Belfiore, where I spent some days, with the
greatest benefit to my health. I may say, indeed,
that having gone there seriously indisposed, I have
returned by the grace of God in good health.
Yesterday I went to the Castello, and visited the
Illustrious Duchess, your wife, and my daughter,
whom I found together with the Marchese and the
other princes in the best of health. All I saw there
gave me the greatest pleasure and amusement. The
Marchese, who is growing up beautiful as a flower,
recited thirty or forty lines from Virgil, in the pre-
sence of his mother the Duchess, with a grace and
clearness which were simply amazing I I saw Signor
Gughelmo, with his fat baby-face looking as innocent
and as merry as possible, and both he and his sweet
sister Donna Isabella are in my eyes a picture of all
the joys the world can give."^ Two years later, the

^ Frizzi, op. cit,

' Luzio e Renier, Giom. Slor., 1899, p. 36.

VISIT TO VENICE 387

little JVIarchese, Francesco, who could repeat Virgil
at the age of five, succeeded his father as Duke
of Mantua, In 1549 he married the Archduchess
Catherine of Austria, a niece of Charles V., but died
a few months afterwards, from a fever brought on by
falhng into the lake when he was shooting wild-fowl
from a boat."^ Isabella, who was born in April,
1537, became the wife of Francesco d'Avalos, while
her brother Guglielmo, then an infant of a few
months, grew up to manhood, and reigned long and
gloriously over the realm of the Gonzagas.

Already Isabella d'Este watched her eldest son's
failing health with anxiety, and in a letter to her old
friend Trissino, who had begged her intercession on
behalf of two gentlemen of Verona, she speaks of the
Duke as seriously indisposed and unable to attend to
business. A month later she persuaded him to ac-
company her to Venice for change of air, and gladly
accepted Ercole d'Este's offer of his palace on the
Grand Canal, which he placed at her disposal during
the next two months. This fine old house, where
Beatrice d'Este once spent a joyous May-time, had
been thoroughly restored and sumptuously decorated
for the reception of Duchess Ren^e when she went
to Venice in 1534, and Isabella was delighted with
the prospect of occupying this magnificent palazzo.
" We are coming to Venice," she wrote to Benedetto
AgneUo on the 23rd of September, "to spend all
October there for our amusement, and our nephew
the Illustrious Duke of Ferrara has kindly placed his
house at our disposal until November."^

The Marchesa, indeed, was so happy at Venice,

1 Litta, Famiglie, iii. tav. 5.

2 V. Cian, op. cit.

388 ISABELLA RETURNS HOME

and was so warmly welcomed and honourably enter-
tained by her friends in this city, that she prolon<^ed
her stay there until the end of November. But
the weather broke up before she left, and the
journey back to Mantua proved too much for her
failing strength. On the 29th, she wrote to her
widowed daughter Leonora : " My return from
Venice took place in very rough weather, and has
caused some disturbance in my system, so that until
now I have not ventured to leave my room, and am
still in some pain." That Advent, Vittoria Colonna's
friend, Fra Bernardino Ochino, preached a course
of stirring sermons at Mantua, but Isabella was
unable to be present. These gastric pains, which
had been the cause of her mother's death, continued
to trouble the Marchesa throughout the winter, and
in January she found herself still too unwell to pay
her yearly visit to Ferrara. But she longed for
news of her dear ones in the old home, and listened
eagerly to the letters which told her of the Duke
and Duchess and their little daughter Anna. On
the 18th of January, Stabellino wrote to ask after
her health, and told her of the latest Carnival fetes :
" Here we are enjoying tournaments and masquerades
and banquets. Last night the Cardinal of Ravenna
entertained the Duke and most of the Court at the
Schifanoia Palace. A very amusing farce by Stras-
cino was performed, after which there was dancing
up till ten o'clock." ^

So Isabella drew slowly to her end, retaining full
possession of all her faculties, and hearing with delight
of pleasures which she could no longer share. She
followed the parting injunctions of her old favourite,

^ Fontana, op. ciL, p. 89.

DIES AT MANTUA 389

Matteo Bandello, the Dominican story-teller, and
lived joyously to the last. Four years before, she
had made her last will, in which not only her children
and ladies-in-waiting, but all her servants and depen-
dants were thoughtfully remembered. Even her pet
dwarfs, Morgantino and Delia, were affectionately
commended to the care of the Duke and Duchess,
and provided with a yearly allowance of fifty ducats
if they would not or could not remain in her son's
service. Now she took a tender farewell of the
children she had loved so well, and on the night of
the 13th of February her great soul passed away.

"On the 13th of February, 1539," writes the
chronicler of the Franciscan convent, "there died
in Mantua, Madama Isabella d'Este, or rather, it
should be said, her soul took flight to its eternal
rest. She had always been devout and humble in
her lifetime, and on her deathbed she begged that
she might be buried privately, and without any
pomp, in the grave of her husband in Santa Paola.
This was done, with the tears and lamentations of
all the people."^

The great Marchesa was buried by her husband's
side in the Cappella dei Signori, in the Church of
S. Francesco, sometimes called Santa Paola, from
the neighbouring convent founded by the Marchesa
Paola, where Isabella's own daughter had taken
the veil. Duke Federico ordered a noble tomb to
be raised to his mother's memory in the sepulchral
chapel of the Gonzaga princes. Before it was com-
pleted, the Duke himself died, at his favourite villa
of Marmirolo, on the 28th of June, 1540, leaving
his little son Francesco to the guardianship of his

^ Donesmondi, Storia Ecclesiastica di Mantova.

.390 DESTRUCTION OF HER TOMB

brother, Cardinal Ercole, and his wife Margherita.
He was buried, according to his last wishes, by his
mother's side, in S. Francesco. But when, in 1797,
the French took INIantua after a long siege, the
church, which contained more than 300 monuments of
the Gonzagas and other noble families, was pillaged.
Then the frescoes and paintings which adorned its
walls were ruined, the tombs were broken in pieces,
and the ashes which they contained were scattered
to the winds. To-day this once stately shrine, so
rich in historic memories and treasures of art, has
been converted into a barrack school, and no trace of
Isabella d'Este's last resting-place can now be seen.

The Castello suffered terribly at the hands of
the German soldiers who were sent against Duke
Carlo I. by the Emperor Ferdinand II. in 1630,
and who sacked Mantua during three whole days.
A short time before, Vincenzo II. had sold the bulk
of his splendid gallery to our King Charles I., while
the paintings by Mantegna, Perugino, and Costa,
which adorned Isabella's Grotta, were bought soon
after the siege by Cardinal Richelieu. The beautiful
apartments which Isabella planned and adorned with
so much taste were stripped of their decorations,
and the priceless works of art which they contained
were all scattered abroad. The small number which
escaped destruction passed into foreign galleries, and
a few scanty fragments of painting and carving, with
here and there a device or inscription bearing her
name, are the only traces of Isabella's presence that
now remain in Mantua.

Fortunately, the greater part of her correspon-
dence has survived the general wreck, and forms a
record of more than common value. These pre-

CHARACTER OF ISABELLA 391

cious manuscripts of the Archivio Gonzaga give us
a faithful picture of a period that must be for ever
memorable in the history of the human race. And
they reveal, with a fulness that leaves nothing to
be desired, the character of a woman who was in
a remarkable degree typical of the age in which
she lived. Both in her faults and in her virtues, in
her noble aims and generous ambitions, in the
doubtful methods by which she strove to attain
her ends, and in her easy toleration of vice and
falsehood, Isabella d'Este was the child of her
times. She did not share the mystical tendencies
of her kinswomen, Vittoria Colonna and Ren^e de
France ; she belonged rather to the earlier genera-
tion, which took the facts of life more simply, and
accepted the faith of the Church without question-
ing, if without enthusiasm. But a strong sense of
duty, a passionate devotion to home and kindred
governed her actions, and kept her in the right
way. Her nature was singularly complete and
well-balanced, and it may be said with truth that
she saw life steadily, and saw it whole. In her
radiant vitality and keen enjoyment of living, in
her worship of beauty and wide culture, in her serene
temper and stainless purity, this great-souled lady
remains for us the noblest and most perfect type of
the Italian women of the Renaissance.

Postscript. — Whilst these pages were going to press the
missing portrait of Federico Gonzaga, painted by Francia in
July 1510, when he was a boy of ten,i has most unexpectedly
come to light, and was exhibited at the Burlington Fine Arts Club
in 1903. This picture, which Mr. Herbert Cook was the first
to identify (see Atheticeum, February 7, 1903), is the property of

^ As described iu vol. i. p. 380,

392 POSTSCRIPT

Mr. A. W. Leatham, whose father purcliased it from the Napoleon
Collection. It is in remarkably good {)reservation, and there can
be no doubt that it is the work of Francia. Isabella's son is repre-
sented holding a dagger in his hand, and wearing a black doublet
over a white frilled chemisette, and a black cap set jauntily on
one side of his head, with a red riband fastened with the same
carved gold medallion — perhaps Caradosso's work — which he wore
when Raj)hael painted his portrait two years later in Rome. The
brown eyes and bright, intelligent face bear a marked likeness to
his mother, and the long fair hair has evidently been darkened,
as was done, we know, at the Marchesa's request, and still shows
traces of the original blond hue underneath. The graceful land-
scape background is in Francia's usual style ; the lights in the
foliage are heightened with gold, and the want of elaboration in
the details bears witness to the amazing rapidity with which the
portrait was painted. We are reminded of Isabella's words to
Casio : " It could not be better or more like hira than it is, and
I marvel that in so short a time the master could do so excellent
a thing, but it is clear that he wished to show all the perfections
of his art." The long-lost portrait, we know, left Mantua a year
and a half later, and probably remained at Ferrara until it was
brought to France among Napoleon's spoils. By a strange coin-
cidence it has been recovered, at the end of four hundred years,
only a few months after Titian's portrait of Isabella herself has
once more been brought to light.

February 7, 1908.

INDEX

ACCOLTI, Bernardo, ii. 10. jSe« Aretino

Accolti, Pietro, created Cardinal, ii.
110

Acerra, Isabella del Balzo, Countess
of, i. 91. See Balzo

Adorno, Governor of Genoa, i. 64 ;
portrait of, ii. 283

Adria, Bishop of, i. 194

Adrian "VI. elected Pope, ii. 196 ; sur-
render of the duchv of Urbino,
198 ; his reforms, 223 ; unpopu-
larity, 223 ; joins the league
against France, 231 ; death, 232

Adriana, Madonna, i. 205

Aff5, Vita di Luigi Jiodomonte, ii.
308 n.

Agnello, Benedetto, on Titian, ii.
327 ; on his picture of the Mag-
dalen, 328 ; on the floods, 342

Agnes, Church of St., ii. 59

Agnesina, Madonna, i. 181

Albano, baths of, ii. 344

Albano, Piero, i. 75

Albano, Taddeo, i. 75, 78, 360, 389

Alberi, Relazioni Venete, ii. 125 n.

Alberino, Marcello, on the revels held
on May-day, ii. 246 ; Diarii, 246 n.

Alberti, Leo Battista, dedication of
his " Treatise on Painting," i. 20 ;
his architectural designs, 26 ; at
Mantua, 34

Albret, Charlotte d', her marriage, i.
152 ; betrothal of her daughter,
227

Aldine Classics, ii. 21

Alexander VI. , Pope, presents Fran-
cesco Gonzaga with the golden
rose, i. 137 ; on the marriage of
his daughter, 192 ; his illness, 253;
death, 253, 256

Alidosi, Cardinal, ii. 36

Aliprando, ii. 214

Altamura, Pirro, Prince of, i. 47

Alvarez, Grand Marshal Don, ii. 299

Alvisi, Ccesar Borgia, i. 232 n.

Amadori, Alessandro, i. 326

Amboise, Cardinal d", i. 152, 178

Amboise, Charles d', i. 284

Amboise, Georpje d', i. 255

Amboise, ii. 125

Ambrogio, Messer, i. 4

Amedei, the Mantuan Chronicler, i
46

Ancona, i. 108, 138

Ancona, D', Originidel Teatro Italiano,
i. 87 n., 262 n., 264 n., 271 n., 287 n. ;
ii. 82 «., 132 n., 188 n., 291 n,, 349n.,
363 n.

Andes, i. 22

Andrea, Church of S., i. 26

Andreassi, Osanna dei, the Domini-
can nun, i. 79 ; prophetic gifts, 79.
See Osanna

Andreassi, Paolo, ii. 327

Angeli, Teodora degli, i. 58

Anichino, his genius for engraving
gems, i. 74

Anjou, Charles of, L 47

Anspach, i. 29

Antimaco, the Chancellor, i. 127

Apuleius's poem, L'Asino d'Oro, i. 41

Aquapendente, i. 249

Aquila, Messer Sebastiano d', ii, 1

Aragon, Federico of, ex - king of
Naples, i, 235

Aragon, Ferdinand of, in possession
of Southern Italy, i. 263

Aragon, Infanta Giulia of, her be-
trothal, ii. 326, 330 ; marriage, 351

Aragon, Isabella of, i. 150; ii. 114;
at Mantua, i. 154

Aragon, Tullia of, at Ferrara, ii. 384

Archano, Girolamo, ii. 97

Arco, D', Arch. St. It., i. 166 n., 199
n. ; ii. 75 n., 129 n., 238 n., 321 n. ;
Arte t Artefici, i. 158 n., 290 n.,
291 n., 293 n., 328 n., 353 n., 364 n.;
ii. 6 n., 206 n., 230 n., 274 n., 379 n.;
Notizie d'lsahdla d'Este, i. 17 n.,
46 n., 236 n., 247 n., 252 n., 271 n.,
272 n., 27 i n., 281 n., 314 n.; ii.
115 n., 194 n., 267 n., 344 n.

Aretino, L'Unico, practical joke on,
ii. 10 ; his vanity, 110 ; trick upon
him, 111

Aretino, Pietro, ii. 245 ; portrait of,
283 ; Lettere, 350 n. ; sonnets, 376

Arezzo, surrender of, ii. 295

Argentina, Madonna, i. 279

Ariosto, Messer Lodovico, i. 82, 205 ;
his elegy on the death of Duchess
Leonora, 103 ; at Mantua, 293 ; his

393

894

INDEX

Orlando Furioso, 203, ii. 34fi ; sent
to appease the Pope, 63 ; Cassaria,
293 ; bis death, 347

Aristotle, portrait-medal of, ii. 370

Armagh, ii. 177

Armaria, Bernardus del, i. 289

Armellini, Cardinal, at the siege of
Rome, ii. 259

Ars, Mons. Louis d', i. 185 ; his defeat
at Cerignola, 250

Asola, ii. 27

Asolo, i. 224

Assisi, i. 109, 180

Asti, i. 113; ii. 6i, 1.35

Astorga, Marquis, ii. 299 ; at the
coronation of Charles V., 313, 315

Astrology, belief in, ii. 33

Atella, surrender of, i. 136

Atri, Jacopo d'. Count of Pianella, i.
84 ; letter to, 91 ; on the statue to
Virgil, 174 ; presented with a medal
of Isabella d'Este, ii. 12 ; on the con-
trast between the Queen of France
and the Italian princesses, 39

Aubigny, Mons. d', at Mantua, i. 112

Augsburg, i. 24

Aura, death of the dog, ii. 55

Aurelio, Zoan, his verses, ii. 29

Austria, Margaret of, ii. 293

Auton, Jean d', i. 296

AuTergne, Madeleine de la Tour d',
ii. 159. See Caterina dei Medici

Avalos, Alfonso d', Marchese del
Vasto, ii. 311. See Vasto

Avignon, ii. 124

Babsso, Alessandro da, i. 120, 166,
217,237; ii. 143

Baglioni, Giov., surrender of, i. 246

Bagnolo, treaty concluded at, i. 2

Baldo, Monte, ii. 107

Balzo, Antonia del, i. 282 ; ii. 94, 134 ;
her marriage, i. 47 ; intimacy with
Isabella d'Este, 48 ; her taste for
French romances, 77 ; death of her
husband, 140 ; marriage of her
daughter, il. 147

Balzo, Isabella del, Countess of
Acerra, i. 91 ; ii. 306

Bandello, Matteo, i. 135 ; ii. 135, 140 ;
at the Dominican convent of Man-
tua, 141 ; his gift of story-telling,
141 ; relations with Isabella d'Este
and pictures of the Court, 142-150 ;
testimonial of his character, 150;
oration in memory of the Marquis
of Mantua, 151 ; condolences, 152;
Novelle, 203 n., 217 n. ; on the evil
influence of Isabella Boschetti, 240

Barbarigo, Agostino, Doge of Venice,
i. 100

Barbaro, Zaccarla, i. 58

Barbo, Messer Paolo, i. 223

Barcelona, entry into, ii. 182 ; Treaty
of, 293

Bardi, Giovanni dei, on the discovery
of the New World, i. 95

Bari, Duchess of, i. 48. See Beatrice
d'Este

Bari, Francesco, Duke of, popularity
with the Milanese, ii. 93

Barone, the jester, i. 147

Baschet, A., Aide Manuce, ii. 23 n.,
27 n. ; Archivio Oonzaga, i. 28 n.,
34 n., 40 n. ; Arch. St. It., ii. 245 n.

Bavaria, Margaret of, her marriage,
i. 30 ; appearance, 30

Bavaria, Philip, Duke of, at the coro-
nation of Charles V., ii. 315

Bavaria, Sigismund, Duke of, i. 100 ;
marriage of his daughter Margaret,
30

Beccagnto, Alesaio, ii. 127

Beccaro, Vittore, i. 390

Belfiore, i. 2

Bellay, Du, French ambassador at
Rome, ii. 255

Bellini, Gentile, i. 100, 341 ; his por-
traits, 100

Bellini, Giovanni, i. 163, 223; frescoes
in the Council Hall at Venice, 100,
ii. 229 ; on a map of Paris, i. 107 ;
commission to paint a picture for
the Grotta, 341 ; reluctance to
undertake the Storia, 343 ; refusal
to restore the money, 345, 349 ;
order for a Nativity, 346 ; portrait
of Loredano, 349 ; apology for his
delay, 350 ; completion of the
Nativity, 351 ; order for a Storia,
353

Bellini, Jacopo, i. 2, 101, 341

Bello, Francesco, the blind improvi-
satore, i. 11, 47

Belriguardo, i. 12, 265

Beltraffio, i. 150

Belvedere Apollo, ii. 45

Belvedere Palace, ii. 287

Belvedere, villa of, i. 265

Bembo, Pietro, i. 49, 271; ii. 48;
secretary to Pope Leo X., i. 269;
sonnets, 272, 273 ; at Mantua, 272,
ii. 376 ; letter to Isabella d'Este, i.
273 ; his efforts to induce Bellini
to paint a Storia, 354 ; his A$olani,
ii. 13 ; on the presence of Isabella
in Rome, 116 ; his devotion to
Camilla Gonzaga, 247 ; tribute to
the memory of Elisabetta, 250 ; on
the ruin of Rome, 270 ; at Bologna,
304

Benedetto. Convent of S., ii. 326

INDEX

895

Benintendi, Filippo, i. 279

Bentivoglio, Alessandro, i. 374

Bentivoglio, Count Annibale, i. 57, 71,
112; his marriage, 13

Bentivoglio, Messer Antonio Galeazzo,
i. 372

Bentivoglio, Giovanni, i. 13, 17 ; his
flight, 284, 292 ; at Mantua, 292

Bentivoglio, Laura, i. 148 ; her wed-
ding, 58 ; on her visit to Lucrezia
Borgia, 214 ; her death, ii. 232. See
Gonzaga

Bentivoglio, Lucrezia, i. 112, 205

Bentivoglio, Violante, i. 374

Berenson, B., i. 79 n. ; " The Draw-
ings of Mantegna," 162 n.

Bergamo, Fra Damiano da, ii. 320

Bergenroth Calendar, ii. 195 n.

Berghet, G., Funti Ital. per la Storia
della Seoperta del Nuovo Mondo, i.
96 n.

Beroaldo, Filippo, his verses on the
dog Aura, ii. 56 ; ode on Federico,
61

Bert, Mons. Philippo, French Am-
bassador, i. 204 ; entertained by-
Isabella D'Este, 209; gifts to the
bride, 211

Bertolotti, A., Arch. St. Lomh., ii, 367
n. ; Artisti bolognesi, i. 380 n. ; ii. 2
n., 207 n., 366 «., 370 n. ; Za Nu^ca
alia Corte dei Oonzaga, i. 10 n.

Bettinelli, Abbot, on the Studio of
the Grotta, i. 159 ; Delle lettere e d.
arti Mantovani, ii. 274 n.

Bianca, Empress, ii. 66

Bibbiena, Bernardo Dovizi of, on his
illness, ii. 37 ; on the charms of
Leonora, 37 ; il bel Bernardo, 49 ;
on Federico, 49; at the Congress of
Mantua, 65 ; on the election of Leo
X., 76 ; created a Cardinal, 78 ; his
comedy Oalandria, 113, 188 ; letter
to Isabella D'Este, 118-120 ; on the
death of Castiglione's wife, 187 ;
his death, 187

Binasco, i. 239

Bisceglia, Alfonso, Duke of, his mar-
riage, i. 187 ; strangled, 187

Bisignano, Prince of, ii. 115

Bisignano, Princess of, i. 297, 298

Blois, i. 152 ; ii. 125

Boccaccio, his Becamerone, i. 26 ;
romances, 76

Boiarda, Alda, ii. 81 ; dismissal, 87

Boiardo, Matteo, ii. 87 ; Orlando
Innamorato, i. 11, 76

Bologna, Alberto da, i. 63, 116, 162

Bologna, Antonio da, i. 237

Bologna, i. 34, 58 ; ii. 212 ; tourna-
ment at, i, 71 ; visit to, 112 ; entry

of Pope Julius II., 281, 291;
captured by the French, ii. 52;
besieged, 56 ; conference at, 297 ;
state entry of Charles V. and Pope
Clement VII., 298

Bologna Museum, ii. 368

Bologna University, deputation from,
ii. 311

Bolsena, ii. 110

Bolzano, Vincenzo, i. 330

Bonatti, Alessandro, ii. 6

Bonnivet, at the siege of Milan, ii.
232

Bonsignori, Francesco, i. 290 ; his
altar-piece of the Vision of the
Beata Osanna, 79 ; decorations at
Marmirolo, 107 ; his portraits of
Mattello, 134, Ferrante, 140,
Pistoia, 391

Bordoni, his description of the Belve-
dere Palace, ii. 288

Borgia, Alexander, elected Pope, i.
63

Borgia, Angela, i. 194, 196, 265;
presented with a chain, 211

Borgia, Caesar, his scabbard in niello,
i. 73 ; created Duke of Valen-
tinois, 152 ; his marriage, 152 ;
appearance, 178 ; character, 178 ;
influence over the Pope, 178 ;
sponsor, 179 ; murders the Duke
of Bisceglia, 187 ; conquest of
Romagna, 187 ; his French allies,
188 ; proposed betrothal of his
daughter, 227 ; seizure of the
Duchy of Urbino, 228; Duke of
Romagna, 230; presents the statues
of Venus and Cupid to Isabella
d'Este, 232 ; welcome from Louis
XII., 238 ; massacre of Sinigaglia,
244 ; murder of his colleagues,
245 ; congratulations on his suc-
cesses, 248 ; present of masks,
248; his letter of thanks, 249;
attack of fever, 253 ; death of his
father, 253 ; under the protection
of the French army, 255 ; anxiety
to conciliate the Pope, 260 ; arrest,
261 ; his end, 261 ; attempt to
escape from prison, 269 ; crimes,
ii. 145

Borgia, Donna Hieronima, i. 204

Borgia, Lucrezia, dissolution of her
marriage, i. 187; second marriage,
187 ; murder of her husband, 187 ;
proposed third marriage, 190;
character, 190 ; contract, 191 ;
dowry, 191 ; trousseau, 191;
wedding, 194 ; journey to Ferrara,
196, 200; reception, 200, 205;
costume, 201, 204; appearance.

396

INDEX

202, 206 ; entry, 202 - 205 ;
Ambassador's gifts, 211 ; her re-
lations with Isabella d'Este, 215;
children, 215; birth of a child,
23G, ii. 158; letter of condolence
on the death of the Marquis of
Mantua, 157 ; death, 158

Borgoforte, i. 270; ii. 140; sub-
merged, 342

Borromeo, Count Achilles, i. 224

Borso, i. 2

Boschetti, Isabella, her influence
over Federico Gonzaga, ii. 189,
239, 240; her portrait, 227; in-
solence and hatred of the Duchess
of Mantua, 345

Bosco, Church of S. Michele, ii.
215

Bosio, Hieromino, i. 368

Bossi, Matteo, Abbot of Fiesole, i.
•38

Botticelli, Sandro, i. 330

Bourbon, Due Charles de, i. 297;
ii. 233, 244; Imperialist general,
255 ; refuses to accept terms, 255 ;
resumes his march across the
Apennines, 255 ; at Viterbo, 255 ;
advances against Rome, 255 ; de-
mands a free passage to Naples,
256 ; at the siege of Rome, 258 ;
death, 259

Bourbon, M. la Batard de, i. 119;
taken prisoner, 120; sent to Man-
tua, 120

Bozzolo, Federico Gonzaga of, ii.
123, 132, 147, 148, 244 ; at Viterbo,
265 ; his death, 375

Bozzolo, Gianfrancesco of, his death,
i. 140

Bozzolo, Lodovico di, ii. 148

Bozzolo, Pirro di, ii. 147, 148 ; his
death, 375

Bozzolo, principality of, i. 37

Bracciano, fortress of, i. 250

Braghirolli, W., Archivio Veneto, i.
342 n. ; Oiorn. di Erud. Art., 90
n., 127 n. ; ii. 281 n. ; Romania, 1.
20 n.

Bramante, ii. 44

Brandenburg, Albert von, i. 29 ; at
Bologna, ii. 302

Brandenburg, Barbara von, her mar-
riage, i. 24; letter to her son, 32;
death, 38

Brasca, Erasmo, i. 149

Brescia, races at, i. 63 ; tournament,
144 ; taken, ii. 56

Brescia, Vincenzo of, ii. 349

Brewer, Letters, ii. 195 n.

British Museum, ii. 368

Brittany, Queen Anne of, i. 79

Broccardo, Antonio, on Pomponazzi's

last moments, ii. 220; at Ilologna,

305
Brogna, maid-of-honour to Isabella

d'Este, i. 72
Brognina, ii. 81 ; her flirtations, 83,

86, 124 ; dismissal, 87 ; resumes

her post, 243
Brognolo, Lodovico, sends Isabella

d'Este a cameo, ii. 5
Brognolo, Zorzo, i. 54, 121, 141 ; com-
missions from Isabella d'Este, 73,

76
Brosch, Papst Julius, ii. 42 n.
Brunellesco, i. 20
Brunoro, Count, ii. 82
Buonacolsi, defeated, i. 19
Buonamici, M. Lazzaro, tutor to

Ercole Gonzaga, ii. 215
Burgundy, Charles the Bold, Duke

of, i. 29

Cagli, i. 229

Cagnino, Gianfrancesco, ii. 334

Cagnolo, on the appearance of

Lucrezia Borgia, i. 206
Caiazzo, Count of, ii. 334
Calabria, Alfonso, Duke of, i. 93 ; his

wedding, 32
Calabria, i. 128 ; war in, 136
Calandra, Gian Giacomo, ii. 144, 148 ;

on Mantegna's bust of Faustina, i.

365 ; librarian to the Marchesa,

ii. 21
Calandra, Ippolito, on the exile of

the Duke of Urbino, ii. 127 ; on the

addition to the Castello, 337; list

of pictures, 338
Calandra, Silvestro, i. 42, 67
Calcagnini, Celio, i, 205 ; his oration

on Ercole Strozzi, 312
Calmeta, i. 170, 187
Calvi, Fabia, ii. 61
Calvin, at Ferrara, ii. 290, 384
Calvisano, Count of, ii. 189
Cambray, League of, ii. 31 ; Treaty

of, 293
Camera degli Sposi, i. 106 ; ii. 172
Camerino, Duchess of, ii. 366
Camerino, Giovanni Maria da, ex-
pedition against, i. 228 ; flight, 246
Campeggio, Cardinal, his commission

from the Pope, ii. 287 ; at Bologna,

302
Campori, G., Attie Memorie, ii. 383 n.,

385 n. ; Notizie di Giovanni Santi,

i. 112 n. ; Notizie di Raffadlo, ii

160 n., 169 n.
Canary Islands, ii. 226
Canneto, i. 48 ; Rocca of, 154
Canossa, Count, i. 224

INDEX

397

Canossa, Lodovico da, i. 267 ; ii. 160

Canossa, Simone da, chamberlain to
the Duke of Calabria, i, 93

Cantelma, Margherita, i. 280, 282;
ii. 1 ; her illness, 3 ; on Trissino's
RitraUi, 103; her death, 344; be-
quest, 344

Cantelmo, Sigismondo, on the theatre
at Mantua, i. 183-185 ; recitations,
185

Capello, Alvise, I. 218

Capello, Filippo, i. 222

Capello, Francesco, i. 58, 98

Capello, Paolo, i. 138, 197

Capilupi, Benedetto, i. 103, 146, 217 ;
on Elisabetta Gonzaga's wedding,
44 ; her ill-health, 45 ; on the
reception of Isabella d'Este at
Milan, 114 ; on her interview
with the "Venetian envoys, 212-214;
on the grief of the Duchess of
Urbino, 308 ; on the story of
Tarquin and Lucrezia, ii. 142 ; his
death, 158

Capua, Isabella of, ii. 345 ; her mar-
riage, 308

Caradossa, his bowl and inkstand, ii.
2 ; relief, 206

Caravaggio, Marquis of, i. 374

Caravazo, Fermo, i. 51

Cardinals, new, appointed, ii. 256

Cardona, Raymond de, Viceroy of
Naples, besieges Bologna, ii. 56 ;
at the Congress of Mantua, 65, 94 ;
at Milan, 81

Carew, Nicolas, on the desolation of
Italy, ii. 272

Carlo I., Duke, ii, 390

Caroto, his portrait of Elisabetta, i. 391

Carpaccio, his paintings, ii. 229

Carpi, seizure of, ii. 48

Carreto, Galeotto di, ii. 135

Casale, i. 198, 200; ii. 135, 334

Casale, Gregory, ii. 259

Casalmaggiore, ii. 94, 147

Casio, Girolamo da, i. 375, 379 ; his
sonnet on Leonardo da Vinci's
cartoon, 320 ; letters on Costa and
Francia, 375, 381 ; list of articles
procured for Isabella, ?,%% ; his
epitaph on Cristoforo, ii. 13 ; re-
ceives the laurel crown, 311

Casola, on the interview between
Isabella d'Este and the Bishop of
Gurk, ii. 51

Castelfranco, Zorzo da, i. 389 ; his
picture of a Notie, 390

Castello, CittJv di, seized, i. 244

Castelromano, ii. 27

Castiglio, Guglielmo di. Captain of
Sal5, ii. 100

Castiglione, Baldassarre, i. 49, 152;
settles at Urbino, 270 ; forbidden
to visit Mantua, 270 ; his marriage,
ii. 131 ; on the story of Tarquin
and Lucrezia, 142; on Raphael's
design for the Marquis of Mantua's
tomb, 160 ; his efforts to obtain a
picture by Raphael, 163 ; on the
trial of Longueil, 166 ; his in-
fluence at the Vatican, 185, 224 ;
death of his wife, 185 ; loyalty to
Duchess Elisabetta, 190 ; on the
death of Leo X., 191 ; election of
the Pope, 194 ; on the restoration
of the Duke of Milan, 199 ; his
letters from Rome, 206 ; in Venice,
228 ; on the league against France,
231 ; his mission to Madrid, 236,
241 ; on visiting the shrine of S.
Jacopo di Galicia, 241 ; his death,
271

Castiglione, Ippolita, her death, ii.
185

Castiglione, Sabbh, da, i. 82, 133, 164 ;
ii. 297 ; on the island of Rhodes,
14 ; his literary pursuits, 15 ;
Academy, 16 ; permission to search
for ancient treasures, 16 ; illness,
18 ; recalled to Rome, 19 ; ap-
pointed Prior of a house of Knights
of S. John, 19

Castiglione, i. 37

Castiglione di Arezzo, Imperial camp
at, ii. 295

Cattaneo, Federico, on the murder
of the Duke of Bisceglia, i. 187;
on the preparations for Lucrezia
Borgia's wedding, 191; on the death
of the^Pope, 253 ; the visit of the
Duke of Urbino to Mantua, 310

Cavriana, i. 26, 50, 310 ; villa of, ii.
95

Cellani, Contessa di, ii. 150

Cellini, Benvenuto, ii. 259 ; Tratiato,
314 n.

Ceresara, Federico, ii. 24

Ceresara, Paride da, i. 162, 330; ii.
149 : his fantasie, i. 372

Ceri, Renzo da, in command of the
papal forces, ii. 254 ; repulses the
Imperialists, 254 ; levies troops,
255

Ceri, fortress of, i. 250

Cerignola, victory at, i. 250

Cesi, Cardinal di, ii. 276

Chalcus, T., Residua, i. 83 n.

Charles I., King of England, his col-
lection of pictures, ii. 162, 390

Charles V., Emperor, at Reggio, i. 15 ;
ii. 294 ; his birth, i. 178 ; succeeds
the Emperor Maximilian, ii. 154;

898

INDEX

bis entry into Barcelona, 182 ;
treaty with the Tope, 183, 185 ;
alliance against France, '231 ;
league against, 251 ; on the death
of Castiglione, 271 ; lands at Genoa,
294 ; his triumphal entry into Eo-
logna, 297-300, 351 ; meeting with
the Pope, 300 ; on restoring peace
to Italy, 306 ; receives the Queen
of Naples, a07 ; his marks of favour
to the Marquis of Mantua, 309 ;
pardons the Duke of Milan, 309 ;
proclamation of peace, 310 ; con-
fers privileges on the University
of Bologna, 811 ; receives Vene-
tian senators, 311 ; his courtesy
and toleration, 312; receives the
Iron Crown, 313 ; his coronation,
314-317 ; banquet, 317 ; reception
of the Duke of Ferrara, 320 ; state
entry into Mantua, 323 ; accident
out hunting, 324 ; creates Fede-
rico, Duke of Mantua, 325 ; at the
Convent of S. Benedetto, 326 ; de-
parture, 326 ; gift of poems from
Ariosto, 347 ; visit to Mantua, 349-
351

Charles VIII., King of France, his
proposals to the Marquis of Mantua,
i. 113 ; enters Italy, 113 ; his defeat
at Taro, 120 ; treaty of peace with
the Duke of Milan, 123; his re-
treat, 128 ; death, 149

Chaumont, Mons. de, ii. 14

Chester, ii. 177

Chiaramonte, Count of, his banquet
to Isabella d'Este, ii. 115

Chiericati, Francesco, ii. 83 ; the
papal Nuncio, 172; his "Treatise
on the History of Castile," 173 ; in
England, 173; his description of
the court of Henry VIII., 173-176 ;
experiences in Ireland, 176-180 ;
impressions of, 180; on the sweat-
ing sickness, 181 ; at Mantua, 182 ;
Eome, 183 ; on the treaty between
Charles V. and the Pope, 183 ; at
the Diet of Niirnberg, 224 ; on the
Lutheran movement, 224 ; on Ma-
gellan's journey, 225 ; at the Vati-
can, 247

Chievres, Mons. de, ii. 183

Chigi, Agostino, ii. 48, 58 ; his motto
on the coronation of Leo X., 79 ;
entertains Isabella d'Este, 112

Childaria, Count of, ii. 180

Chioggia, i. 98, 139, 218

Cian, v., Oiorn. Stor., ii. 168 n., 376
n., 378 n., 387 n. ; Nuovi documenti
su Pomponaszi, 220 n. ; Un De-
cennio, 305 n.

Cibo, Cardinal, ii. 323

Cingano, his performance on the rope,

i. 212
Ciocca, Luigi, i. 335; on Perugino's

picture, 335
Citarra or lute, i. 86
Civita Vecchia, ii. 2G6 ; alum quarries

at, 58
Clement VII., Pope, i. 78 ; appoints
Silvestri General of the Dominican
Order, 276 ; elected Pope, ii. 232 ;
his policy, 235, 238 ; sends Castig-
lione to Madrid, 236 ; his anxiety
to retain the friendship of the
Marquis of Mantua, 245 ; negotia-
tions with Lannoy, 254 ; signs a
truce, 254 ; disbands his forces,
254 ; implores the help of the
Duke of Urbino, 255 ; appoints
new Cardinals, 256 ; escape from
Rome, 266; entry into Bologna,
297-300 ; meeting with Charles V.,
300 ; celebrates mass at San Pe-
tronio, 310 ; at the coronation of
Charles V., 314-317; his death,
362

Clerk, John, on the election of the
Pope, ii. 195

Clogher, ii. 177

Cogo, Niccolo del, i. 57

CoUenuccio, Pandolfo, i. 179

Colleoni, Bartolommeo, i. 82

CoUeoni, Cassandra, i. 82 ; death of
her husband, 313

Colocci, Angelo, ii. Ill ; bis book on
the Limousin poets, 112 ; destruc-
tion of his collection of antiques,
270; at Bologna, 305

Colombo, the antiquarian, ii. 275

Colonna, Ascania, ii. 252

Colonna, Fabrizio, i. 181 ; ii. 61, 115 ;
taken prisoner, 57

Colonna, Isabella, her betrothal, ii.
307 ; marriage, 308

Colonna, Marc Antonio, his epigram,
ii. 144

Colonna, Cardinal Pompeo, ii. 246 ;
on his return to Rome, 264

Colonna, Prospero, Imperialist gen-
eral, ii. 190, 199, 279

Colonna, Vespasiano, ii. 307 ; his wed-
ding, 252

Colonna, Vittoria, Marchesa di Pes-
cara, i. 182, ii. 290 ; present of a
picture from the Duke of Mantua,
327, 330; congratulations on his
marriage, 333 ; at Ferrara, 382 ; on
Fra Bernardino Ochino, 382

Columbus, return from his first voy-
age, i. 94

Comacchio, marshes of, i. 265

INDEX

399

Conclaye, meeting of the, i. 255, 258 ;
ii. 75, 194, 232

Contarini, Alvise, at Mantua, ii. 136-
138

Contarini, Taddeo, i. 390

Contarini, Zaccaria, i. 98

Contarini, Zuan, at Mantua, ii. 136-138

Contarini, Venetian ambassador, on
Federico Gonzaga, ii. 123 ; at
Bologna, 304

Contin,Castiglione,Letterediplomatiche,
ii. 191

Contrari, Beatrice del, i. 52, 53 ; her
letters to the Marquis, 55 ; illness,
65

Cordova, Don Alonzo da, ii. 262

Cordova, Gonsalvo di, i. 235 ; at Cala-
bria, 188 ; his victory at Cerignola,
250 ; arrests C^sar Borgia, 261

Cornaro, Queen Caterina, i, 100, 224

Cornaro, Messer Francesco, his com-
mission to Andrea Mantegna, i.
358, 371

Cornaro, Giorgio, i. 139, 224

Corneto, Cardinal Adriano da, i. 253

Corpus Domini, convent of, i. 24

Corradi, Girolamo, i. 290

Oorreggio, Antonio AUegri, hia pic-
ture of the Magdalen, ii. 281 ;
allegories, 282

Oorreggio, Borso da, i. 16

Correggio, Galeazzo, his marriage, i.
169

Correggio, Giangaleazzo, on his
father's poems, i. 314

Correggio, Niccolo da, i. 16, 81, 114 ;
courtier and poet, 81 ; his faaie,
82 ; serves in the wars against
Venice, 82 ; taken prisoner, 82 ;
his pastoral play Cefalo and other
works, 82, 83 ; settles at Milan, 83 ;
his devotion to Isabella d'Este, 83,
168 ; mission to France, 83 ; his
fable of Psyche, 84 ; silver lyre,
85; his cantata " Mopsa and
Daphne," 86 ; death of his mother,
144 ; at Correggio, 167 ; his Latin
motto, 168 ; at Ferrara, 168 ; son-
nets, 168, 169 ; marriage of his
son, 169 ; on the welcome by Louis
XII. of Caesar Borgia, 238 ; on the
quarrel between Ippolito and
Giulio, 266 ; his death, 313 ;
daughter, ii. 285

Correr, Gregorio, Abbot of S. Zeno
of Verona, dedication of his treatise
De Pugiendo Sceculo, i. 23

Corte, Castello di, i. 17; decoration
of the rooms, 87 ; ii. 203, 204 ; the
Paradiso, 205

Cortoua, surrender of, iL 295

Coss^, Andrea, ii. 30

Costa, Lorenzo, i. 339; ii. 281; iinishes

the Comus, i. 371 ; commission for a

picture, 372; illness, 374; Triumph

of Poetry, 375 ; at Mantua, 376 ;

his decorations of the palace of St.

Sebastian, 377 ; portraits, 377
Costabili, M. Antonio di, i. 147, 179
Costanza, chapel of S., ii. 59
Costanza, Madonna, i. 310
Cotrone, Marchesa di, i. 166, 217; on

the appearance of Isabella d'Este,

202
Covos, ii. 327
Cracow, ii. 114
Credi, Lorenzo di, 1. 278 ; his picture

of the Magdalen, 389
Creighton, "History of the Papacy,"

ii. 132 n., 251 n.
Cremona, Giovanni da, on the ad-
miration excited by Isabella d'Este,

ii. 133
Cremona, Zoan Petro da, i. 381
Cremona, conference at, i. 39; French

retire to, ii. 190 ; taken, 251
Crevalcore, Antonio da, his picture of

fruit, i. 389
Oristoforo Romano, Giovanni, i. 164,

166, 343 ; ii. 1-14.
Orivelli, Lacrezia, i. 154
Oroce, Giacomo Santi, imprisoned,

i. 246
Crogiolo or crucible, device of the, i.

142, 165
Crowe e CavalcaseUe, Titian^ ii. 228 n.,

327 n., 328 n., 333 n.
Ornttwell, Miss, "Life of Mantegna,"

i 125 n.
Cupid, statue of, i. 230-234
Cusatro, Beltramino, i. 3 ; on the in-
telligence of Madonna Isabella, 4
Cyprus, Bishop of, i. 1
Cyprus, Queen of, i. 139, 223

Daino, G., Cronaca, ii. 156 n., 267 n.,

324 n.
Davari, S., Arch. St. Lomb., ii. 338 n. ;

II Matrimonio di Dorotea Gonzaga,

i. 33 n. ; Lettere inedite di Pomponazzi,

ii. 221 n. ; La Musica in Mantova, i.

10 n., 81 n. ; ii. 135 n.
Delia, ii. 81, 115
Delia, the dwarf, ii. 363
Denistoun, " Memoirs of the DukeB

of Urbino," i. 229 «., 307 n. ; ii.

132 n., 261 n.
Denmark, Christina of, her wedding,

ii. 361
Denmark, Queen Dorothea of, 1. 28
Derg, Lough, ii. 178
Desenzaoo, i. 50

400

INDEX

Didot, A. F., Aide Manuce, ii. 2:i n.,

27 n.
Diego, the Spanish court-jester, ii.

288
Dolfo, Floriano, on the character of

Isabella d'Este, i. 144
Donatello, his bust of Lodovico, i. 2G
Donesmondi, Storia Eccles. di Man-

tova, i. 79 n., 177 n., 255 n. ; ii.

3sy n,
Doort, Van der, his catalogue of pic-
tures, ii. 162, 357, n,
Doria, Admiral Andrea, at Bologna,

ii. 302
DosBi, Dosso, i. 391 ; at Mantua, 391
Down, ii. ISO
Dromore, ii. 177
Dublin, ii. 177
Dandalk, ii. 177
Durazzo, Guarino da, ii. 179

Eastlake, Lady, ii. 250

Egidio, Cardinal, ii. 183

Egmont, Count, i. 152

Equicola, Mario, i. 268, 277 ; ii. 149 ;
on the appearance of Isabella
d'Este, i. 9 ; his treatise, Nee spe
nee vietu, 280 ; at Mantua, 282 ;
secretary to the Marchesa, 283,
ii. 159 ; his quarrel with Tebaldeo,
87 ; verses against, 88 ; on the
pilgrimage to Sainte-Baume, 133 ;
on the story of Tarquin and
Lucrezia, 142 ; on the improve-
ments in the Castello, 207; his
death, 241

Erasmus, ii. 166 ; on the ruin of
Rome, 270

Este, Alberto d', 1. 16, 198

Este, Alfonso d', Duke of Ferrara,
i. 2, 15, 16 ; his marriage, 55 ;
entry into Ferrara, 57 ; on a
tournament at Bologna, 71 ; on
the discovery of a new island, 71 ;
death of his wife, 134, 143; his
second marriage, 168, 190; in-
vested with a consecrated cap and
sword, 209 ; gift of a shield, 211 ;
death of his father, 265 ; succeeds
to the title, 265 ; character, 265 ;
war with the Pope, ii. 47 ; retires
to Ferrara, 57 ; in Rome, 61 ; visits
the Sistina, 62; absolved by the
Pope, 63 ; refuses his terms, 63 ;
escapes from Rome, 63 ; his grief
at the death of his wife, 158 ; de-
signs of the Pope against him,
189; his joy at the news of the
death of Leo X., 191 ; recovers
Reggio, 235 ; renewal of the alli-
ance with Francis I., 286 ; wedding

of his son, 286; entertains Charles
v., 294; reception, 320; recon-
ciliation with the Pope, 320; at
Milan, 361 ; his death, 362

Este, Anna d', her birth, ii. 360;
resemblance to her great-aunt
Isabella, 360, 361 ; her musical
tastes, 385

Este, Beatrice d', i. 3 ; her betrothal,
5; portrnit, 12; wedding, 5,3, 55;
illness, 64; birth of a son, 65;
her death, 140. See Milan

Este, Bianca d', i. 57

Este, Camilla d', her marriage, i.
385

Este, Duke Ercole d', birth of a
daughter, i. 1 ; wars of his reign,
2 ; peace and prosperity, 3 ; be-
trothal of his daughters, 3-5 ; re-
ception of the Marquis of Mantua,
5 ; his devotion to classical studies,
11 ; library, 11 ; country house, 12;
court-painters, 12 ; marriage of
his daughter Lucrezia, 13 ; his
intervention on the question of
Galeotto's dyke, 59 ; his meeting
with Louis XII., 152 ; on the
character of Lucrezia Borgia, 192 ;
his gift to her of a casket of jewels,
194; cost of the wedding festivi-
ties, 198 ; failure of his health,
2G4 ; death, 265

Este, Ercole II. d', his marriage, ii.
286 ; banquet, 292

Este, Ferrante d', i. 16; at the
wedding of Lucrezia Borgia, 192,
194; conspiracy against his brother,
266 ; imprisoned, '266 ; ii. 63

Este, Giulio d', i. 200; his quarrel
with Ippolito, 265 ; conspiracy
against, 266 ; imprisoned, 266 ;
ii. 63

Este, Cardinal Ippolito d', i. 16, 147 ;
at the wedding of Lucrezia Borgia,
192, 194; his gift, 195; letter
from Isabella, 230; his quarrel
with Giulio, 265 ; his death, ii.
189

Este, Ippolito d', Archbishop of
Milan, ii. 288

Este, Isabella d', i. 1 ; birth, 1 ;
parents, 2 ; betrothal, 3, 38 ; in-
telligence, 4; portrait, 4, 12, 91,
150, 171, 377, 381-387; ii. 284,
353-356 ; first meeting with her
future husband, 5 ; at Modena, 5 ;
appearance, 9, 46, 202; ii. 133,
284 ; education, i. 9 ; tutors, 9 ;
musical tastes, 10; her voice, 10;
surrounded by works of art, 12 ;
preparations for her marriage, 14 ;

INDEX

401

her girdle, 14; dowry, 15; cele-
bration of the wedding, 15 ;
banquet, 15; dinner-service, 15;
ii, 368 ; entry into Mantua, i. 16 ;
festivities, 17 ; absence of Andrea
Mantegna, 17 ; her character, 47,
49 ; ii. 391 ; intimacy with Antonia
del Balzo, i. 48 ; relations with her
husband's family, 48 ; affection
for Elisabetta, 48, 67 ; excursions
to the Lago di Garda, 50, 52 ; ii.
363 ; blank of her departure from
home, i. 51 ; letters to her tutors,
51 ; visits to Ferrara, 52, 53, 65,
112, 116, 140, 168, 182, 198, 251,
:!12; ii. 267, 362, 384; attacks of
fever, i. 52, 277, 354; ii. 4, 138;
affection for her husband, i. 53 ;
preparations for her journey to
Milan, 54, 62 ; her sbernia or
mantle, 54 ; the wedding of her
sister Beatrice, 55 ; of her brother
Alfonso, 55 ; at the Certosa of
Pavia, 56 ; governs Mantua, 58,
117, 243, 250 ; ii. 336 ; on Galeotto's
dvke, i. 59; at Milan, 61-63, 114,
295-301 ; ii. 80, 94, 108 ; reception
at Genoa, i. 64 ; illness of her sister,
64; her classical studies, 65-67,
129; ii. 136 ; on the postponement
of Elisabetta's visit, i. 67-69 ; cor-
respondence, 70 ; orders for jewels,
71 ; commissions, 72-75 ; want of
money, 75, 365 ; ii. 130 ; raises
loans, i. 75 ; intellectual interests,
76 ; love of books, 76-78 ; relations
with friars, 79 ; attachment to
Osanna dei Andreasi, 79 ; interest
in Genazzano and Savonarola, 80 ;
in poetry, 80 : verses, 81 ; admira-
tion for Niccolo da Correggio, 81 ;
on his poem of Psyche, 84 ; on the
loan of his silver lyre, 85 ; singing
lessons, 86 ; decoration of her
rooms, 87, 157; ii. 203-205; her
studiolo, i. 88 ; threatens Liombeni,
89 ; on the portrait of the Countess
of Acerra, 91 ; on the birth of
Beatrice's son, 96 ; regret at leaving
Elisabetta, 97 ; at Venice, 97, 217-
224 ; ii. 228, 234, 326, 344, 346,
3^7 ; reception by the Doge, i.
98-100 ; on the espousals of Venice
with the sea, 100; her desire to
have a portrait of the Doge, 101 ;
at Padua, 101 ; return to Mantua,
102, 112, 115, 214, 224 ; ii. 94, 117,
268, 291, 321, 386, 388 ; at the
Villa of Porto, i. 102; death of
her mother, 103 ; birth of a
daughter, 104 ; christening, 105 ; re-

VOL. II.

covery, 106 ; pilgrimage to Loreto,
108 ; ii. 189 ; at Gubbio, i. 109 ; at
Urbino, 109 ; Assisi, 109 ; on the
palace of Urbino, 110 ; at Bologna,
112; ii. 296 ; sympathies with the
French, i. 113 ; on pledging her
jewels, 116, 137 ; on the battle of
the Taro, 118 ; pension, 121 ;
anxiety for her husband, 122 ;
on the Madonna della Vittoria,
126 ; correspondence with Lorenzo
da Pavia on a clavichord, 129-131 ;
a lute, 131 ; frivolous amusements,
133 ; her dwarfs and clowns, 133 ;
on the death of Mattello, 134 ; her
dogs and cats, 135 ; birth of a
second daughter, 135 ; death of
her sister, 140 ; at Verona, 142 ;
treatment of her husband, 144 ; on
the Duke of Milan's visit, 147 ;
negotiations, 148 ; betrothal of
her daughter, 148, 267 ; on pre-
senting her portrait to Isabella of
Aragon, 150 ; tendency to stout-
ness, 151 ; attempts to conciliate
the French, 152, 156 ; kindness to
the Milanese exiles, 154 ; artistic
interests, 157; her Studio of the
Grotta, 158-160, 272 ; collection of
works of art, 158, 317 ; ii. 5, 17,
206, 377-379; painters and sculp-
tors, i. 161-165, 170; her busts,
165 ; portrait-medal, 166 ; on the
Latin motto, 168, 280; poets, 168-
170 ; her scheme for the erection
of a statue to Virgil, 173 ; birth
of a son, 177 ; carnival fetes at
Mantua, 183 ; birth of a third
daughter, 186 ; affection for her
son, 186, 207 ; on the resistance of
Faenza, 188 ; on the proposed mar-
riage of her brother with Lucrezia
Borgia, 190 ; the wedding festivi-
ties, 198-207 ; first meeting with
the bride, 200 ; entry, 202-205 ;
reception, 205; comedies and plays,
206, 210, 211, 251; ii. 82; impa-
tience to return home, i. 208 ;
entertains the French ambassador,
209 ; interview with the Venetian
envoys, 212-214 ; relations with
Lucrezia Borgia, 215, 251, 315; her
income and expenditure, 226 ; nego-
tiations on the betrothal of her
son, 227, 243 ; at Porto, 227 ; on
the seizure of the duchy of Urbino,
228 ; her request for the statues of
Venus and Cupid, 230 ; fears fol
her husband's safety, 236 ; letter
from Queen Anne of Brittany,
243 ; on the conquests and murders

2 c

402

INDEX

of Caesar Borgia, 244-247 ; ber gift
of masks, 248 ; congratulations on
his successes, 248 ; death of her
sister-in-law, 253 ; birth of a fourth
daughter, 263 ; death of her father,

265 ; inaprisonmentof her brothers,

266 ; her perfumes, 2G9 ; abandons
her jonrney to Rome, 269 ; visit of
Pietro Bembo, 272 ; of Machia-
velli, 274 ; on the appointment of
her husband to the post of Cap-
tain-general of the Republic, 274
on the death of Suor Osanna, 275
birth of a second boy, 277, 356
at Florence, 278 ; silver effigy,
279 : present of a treatise. Nee
ape nee metu, 280 ; on restoring the
Camera Dipinta, 285 ; relations
with her husband, 288 ; on the
copy of the Italia, 290 ; on the sus-
picions of the Venetians, 291 ; the
Pope's entry into Bologna, 291 ;
birth of a third son, 293 ; on the
visit of Ariosto, 294 ; reception by
Louis XII., 297 ; on the French
court, 298 ; invited to France, 303 ;
her joy at the prospect, 304 ; death
of her child Livia, 306 ; illness of
her husband, 306 ; birth of her
youngest daughter, 309 ; presents
from the Duke of Urbino, 311 ; on
the poems of Niccolo da Correggio,
314 ; relations with artists, 317 ;
Leonardo da Vinci, 317-328 ; her
letter to Fra Pietro da Novellara,
318 ; on Lorenzo dei Medici's vases,
822 ; letter to Angelo del Tovaglia,
323 ; to Leonardo, 324, 325 ; deal-
ings with Perugino, 328-340 ; in-
structions for the picture, 331-
333; criticisms, 339 ; dealings with
Giovanni Bellini, 341-352; satis-
faction with his picture, the
Nativity, 353 ; negotiations for a
Storia, 353-359 ; on the sale of
Vianello's cabinetto, 360 ; appeal for
help from Mantegna, 364 ; buys his
bust of Faustina, 367 ; employs
Costa to finish the Comus, 371 ;
directions for a picture, 374 ; por-
trait of her son Federico, 379, ii.
72 ; gift of Pistoja's poems, i. 387 ;
presents portraits to Zaninello,
388 ; her wish to possess Gior-
gione's Notte, 390; on Caradosso's
cup and inkstand, ii. 4 ; her letter
to Cristoforo, 4 ; acquires the
Cnpid of Praxiteles, 6 ; her practi-
cal joke on Aretino, 10 ; her library,
20, 379-381 ; the Aldine classics,
21 26 ; present of books from Aldo,

25 ; birth of a grandson, 29 ; im-
prisonment of her husband, 32;
belief in astrology, 33 ; efiforts to
obtain his release, 34, 38; marriage
of her daughter Leonora, 35 ; her
presents to the Bishop of Gurk and
the Queen of France, 39 ; on part-
ing with her son Federico, 41, 44;
on his education, 45 ; on the death
of her dog Aura, 55 ; on the claims
of Maximilian Sforza, 66 ; con-
gratulations on the return of the
Medici, 68 ; on the election of
Pope Leo X., 77 ; her masked ball,
83 ; defence of her conduct, 85 ;
patience with her husband, 86; dis-
missal of her maids of honour, 87 ;
on the conduct of Tebaldeo, 87-91 ;
atGazzuolo, 94; Goito, 95; Lonato,
95, accidents, 98, 134 ; at Peschiera,
99 ; the hola dei Frati, 100; Sal6,
101 ; gift of Trissino's Ritratti, 102-
105 ; at Grignano, 106 ; on the
loyalty of the people, 106 ; accident
to her page, 108; visits to Rome,
110-113, 116, 244; at Naples, 114;
Siena, 117 ; regrets at leaving
Rome, 118-120; pilgrimage to
Sainte-Baume, 133; visit of the
Venetian ambassadors, 137 ; her
courtiers and scholars, 149 ; regard
for Bandello, 150; testimonial,
150; letter of condolence, 151;
death of her husband, 154 ; letters
and visits of condolence, 157 ;
death of her secretary Capilupi,
158 ; appoints Mario Equicola, 159 ;
requests Raphael to paint her a
picture, 162-165 ; on his death,
170 ; her wisdom and diplomacy,
184 ; influence at the Vatican, 184;
on the appointment of her son
Federico to the post of Captain-
General of the Church, 185; ad-
vice to him on an alliance with
Francis I., 193 ; congratulations on
his victory, 200; affection for her
nephew, Francesco Sforza, 201 ; her
services to him, 203; decorations
of the Corte Vecchia, 203-205 ; the
Paradiso, 205 ; devices and mottoes,
205, 240 ; efforts to obtain a Car-
dinal's hat for her son, Ercole, 209,
237, 248 ; on the choice of a tutor,
210-212 ; on the journey of Ma-
gellan, 226 ; on Titian's picture, St.
Jerome, 229 ; death of her brother-
in-law, and his wife, 232 ; her trials
with Isabella Boschetti, 240 ; at
Pesaro, 243 ; in the Colonna Palace,
246 ; her grief at the death of

INDEX

403

Elisabetta, 249 ; refuses to leave
Rome, 254 ; fortifies her Palace,
256 ; at the siege of Rome, 258-262 ;
at Ostia, 266 ; loss of her Roman
antiquities, 274 ; dealings with
Raphael of Urbino, 274-276; on
Sebastiano del Piombi's portrait of
her son Ercole, 278 ; pictures of
Oorrege:io, 282; reception of the
bride Reu^e, 287 ; her tolerance,
290; religious views, 290; at
Solarolo, 296; on the state entry
and meeting between Charles V.
and the Pope, at Bologna, 297-301 ;
reception of Charles V., 324; on
her son created Duke of Mantua,
325 ; on Titian's picture of the
Magdalen, 328, 329 ; betrothal and
wedding of her son, Federico, 330,
335 ; on the new Palazzina, 337 ;
preparations for the bride's entry,
340 ; signs of advancing age, 344 ;
her will, 344, 389 ; at the baths of
Albano, 344 ; death of her friend,
Margherita Cantelma, 344 ; gift of
poems from Ariosto, 346 ; Tasso,
347 ; her portrait by Francia, copied
by Titian, 353-356; by Rubens,
856 ; family affection, 358 ; resem-
blance to her great-niece, 360, 361 ;
death of her brother Alfonso, 362 ;
administration of Solarolo, 364 ;
affection for her daughter, Leonora,
365 ; her interest in embroideries,
366 ; in the majolica of Urbino,
367 ; love of antiques, 369 ; of
nature, 370 ; her gardens at Porto,
370-372 ; interest in gardening, 372 ;
loss of relatives, 375 ; her death,
376, 389 ; last visit to Ferrara, 384 ;
affection for her grandchildren,
386 ; failing health, 388 ; destruc-
tion of her tomb, 390

Este, Duke Leonello d', i. 2, his
appearance, 3; on the advantages
of Vittorino's instruction, 23

Este, Duchess Leonora d', i. 1 ; birth
of a daughter, 1 ; her delight at
receiving Andrea Mantegna's Ma-
donna, 8 ; favourite authors, 12 ;
at the wedding of her daughter
Beatrice, 54; at Pavia, 56; re-
ception of her son Alfonso's bride,
57 ; letters from Isabella, 71 ; on
Genazzano'.s praise of her, 80; at
Venice, 102; her death, 103;
honours and tributes, 103

Este, Leonora d', her birth, ii. 382

Este, Lucrezia d', i. 57 ; her mar-
riage, 13 ; on Francia's portrait of
Isabella, 382-385

Este, Duchess Lucrezia d', her wed-
ding, i, 194 ; la Dim Borgia, 312 ,
relations with Isabella, 315. See
Borgia

Este, Lucrezia d', her birth, ii. 362

Este, Niccolo d', his plot to seize
the Duchess Leonora, i. 2

Este, Polissena d', i. 58

Este, Duchess Renee d', her wedding,
ii. 286 ; reception at Ferrara, 287-
289 ; appearance, 289 ; character,

289 ; sympathy with the reformers,

290 ; her costumes, 359 ; birth of a
son, 359 ; birth of her daughters,
360, 362, 382

Este, Cardinal Sigismondo d', i. 116

Evangelista, i. 149

Eyck, Van, his pictures, i. 360

Facing, Alfonso, ii. 191

Faella, Giacomo, i. 166

Faenza, ii. 36, 297 ; resistance of, i.
188 ; surrender, 188

Faenza, Antonio da, ii. 367

Falcone, his comedy, "Gog and
Magog," ii. 131

Fancelli, Chiara, i. 339

Fancelli, Luca, i. 26, 38, 328 ; on the
discovery of the New World, 94

Fano, i. 138

Farnese, Cardinal, candidate for the
Papacy, ii. 196

Fedeli, Ercole, the goldsmith, i. 73 ;
his gold and silver work, 73

Felice, Madonna, ii. 8 ; her wedding,
i. 268

Feltre, Fra Bernardino da, i. 38 ; his
funeral sermon on the death of
Duchess Leonora, 103

Feltre, Vittorino da, tutor to the
Gonzaga princes, i. 21 ; his system
of education, 21; pupils, 22-24;
death, 28

Ferdinand II., Emperor, ii. 390

Ferrante II., King, his portrait, i. 150

Ferrara, Duke Alfonso d'Este. See
Este

Ferrara, Fra Francesco da, Vicar-
General of the Dominican Order,
ii 139 ; at Mantua, 140 ; on the
palace of Porto, 140 ; Prior of bis
Order, 140

Ferr.ira, Feast of St. George at, i. 4,
116, 140 ; a centre of art and learn-
ing, 11 ; wedding at, 15 ; banquet,
15 ; fetes at, 57, 306 ; ii. 286 ;
comedies and plays, i. 182, 206, 210,
211, 251, 264; sights of, 207;
single combat, 210; plague, 288;
campaign against, ii. 50 ; cession
of, 63 ; papal intrigues against, 94

404

INDEX

Ferrato, P., Dd Viaggio, ii. 3G3 n. ;
Lettere inedite di Donne Mantovane
dd Sccolo, i. 98 n. ; Lettere di Princi-
pesse di Casa Gonzaga, 287 n.

Fetti, Fra Mariano, at the carnival in
Kome, ii. 70 ; keeper of the Papal
Seals, 70 ; devotion to the Marquis
of Mantua, 70

Fiera, Battista, i. 173

Fierabraccio, romances of, i. 76

Fiesole, ii 125

Filelfo, tutor to Federico Gonzaga,
i. 20, 28, 40

Flaminian Way, i. 229

Florence, visit to, i. 278; excluded
from the League, ii. 310 ; surrender
of, 326

Foix, Gaston de, sacks Brescia, ii. 56 ;
invades Romagna, 56 ; killed, 57

Foix, Germaine de, i. 302 ; on the
medal of Isabella d'Este, ii. 12

Folengo, Sigismondo, Podestk of
Mantua, ii. 156

Foligno, i. 196

Fondi, i. 138

Fontana, Renata di Francia, ii. 287 n, ;
Een^e de France, ii. 321 n., 331 n. ;
SuW Immortalitcb, ii. 221 n.

Fontainebleau, ii. 286

Forli, Madonna of, i. 105

Forno, Gianfrancesco, ii. 218

Fornovo, battle of, i. 29, 118, 124

Fossa, Torre della, i. 200

Fossombrone, ii. 11

Fracassa, Signor, i. 50, 154

France, League against, i. 115 ; ii.
231 ; armistice with Venice, i. 138;
treaty with Venice, 151

France, Anne de Bretagne, Queen of,
her offer to help the Duchess of
Urbino, i. 240 ; letter to Isabella,
243 ; her coronation, 268 ; present
from Isabella, ii. 39 ; on accom-
panying the King to Italy, 40

France, Princess Ren(^e de, her mar-
riage, ii. 286

Francesca, Piero della, i. 2 ; his fres-
coes, 12 ; altar-piece, 229

Francesco, Fra, ii. 149

Francesco, Church of S., sepulchral
chapel of the Gonzaga princes, ii.
389 ; pillaged by the French, 390

Franchetti, Baron, i. 371

Francia offers to paint a picture for
Isabella d'Este, i. 378; his frescoes
in the Chapel of St. Cecilia, 378;
portrait of Federico, 379-381 ; of
Isabella, 381-387 ; ii. 354

Francis I., his accession, ii. 120 ; at
Milan, 123 ; on the Italian fashion
of dress, 124; curiosity to see

Brognina, 124 ; his friendship for
Federico Gonzaga, 192 ; lays siege
to Milan, 232, 238 ; lays siege to
Pavia, 238 ; his defeat and capture,
244 ; release, 251 ; renewal of the
alliance with the Duke of Ferrara,
286

Frederick II., Emperor, i. 30

Fregoso, ii. 152

Frescoes of the Camera degli Sposi,
i. 35

Friars Minor, island of the, ii. 100

Frisio, Niccolo, i. 292 ; on recovering
busts, 293

Fritello, the dwarf, i. 52, 134

Frizzi, Sioria di Ferrara, i. 2 n., 265
n. ; ii. 382 n.

Frundsberg, ii. 253 ; at Ferrara, 254

Furlo Pass, i. 229

Gabbioneta, Archdeacon, ii. 215

Gabriele, M. Zoanne, i. 222

Gadio, Stazio, ii. 6, 44 ; on the illness
of the Pope, 54, 72; on the carnival
at Rome, 70

Gaeta, surrenders, i. 188, 263

Galasso, the French clown, i. 134

Galicia, S. Jacopo di, his shrine, ii.
241

Gallerani, Cecilia, i. 154, 171; ii. 141;
her portrait, i. 341

Galley-slaves, ii. 59

Gallino, Jacopo, tutor to Isabella
d'Este, i. 9 ; on her departure, 51

Gambara, Brunoro, Imperial Cham-
berlain, ii. 304

Gambara, Gianfrancesco, ii. 280

Gambara, Uberto, Governor of Bo-
logna, ii. 298, 304

Gambara, Veronica, ii. 82, 102, 280 ;
on Correggio's Magdalen, 281 ; at
Bologna, 304

Gangelian Gulf, ii. 226

Garda, Lake of, i. 22 ; ii. 191 ; visits
to, i. 50, 52 ; ii. 363

Garigliano, battle of the, i. 263

Gattinara, Cardinal, Imperial Chan-
cellor, ii. 310; on the sack of Rome,
260

Gayangos, " Spanish Calendar of
Letters," ii. 251 n.

Gaye, Carteggio d'Artisli, i. 231 n.,
200 n., 3o4 n; ii. 274 n., 328 n,,
341 n.

Gazzuolo, i. 37 ; ii. 94

Genazzano, i. 257

Genazzano, Fra Mariano da, his ser-
mons, i. 80 ; on the intelligence of
Isabella d'Este, 80

Genoa, ii. 135, 294; visit to, i. 64;
siege of, 295 ; surrender, 295

INDEX

405

Genua, i. 220

Germain, St., ii. 286

Ghiar' Adda or Vaila, ii. 31

Ghisi, Carlo, ii. 274

Ghisoli'o, Bernardo, i. 125

Ghivizzano, i. 240 ; on the election of
the Pope, 255

Gianfiancesco I., Prince of Mantua,
i. 19 ; his library, 20

Gianf rancesco II. , Marquis of Mantua,
i. 20 ; his reforms, 20 ; patron of
learning, 20

Giberto I., lord of Correggio, ii. 280

Giers, Marechal de, i. 152

Giorgio, Bishop Giovanni, Marquis of
Montferrato, ii. 331

Giorgio, San, bridge of, i. 20

Giorgione, his death, i. 389 ; his pic-
tures, 390 ; ii. 229

Giotto, i. 1 ; his frescoes, 109

Giovio, Paolo, i. 88, 280; ii. 148, 259;
Delle Impresse, 205 n. ; on the
death of Adrian VI., 232 ; on the
device adopted by Isabella, 240 ; at
the Vatican, 247 ; Vita P. Colonna,
259 n. ; loss of his MSS., 270 ; at
Bologna, 304

Girardo, i. 192

Giustinian, A., Dispacci, i. 249 n.

Giustiniani, Marcantouio, amount of
his ransom, ii. 264

Giustizia, Palazzo della, ii. 239

Gnoli, D., Giudizio, ii. 167 n.

Goito, i. 26, 50 ; ii. 95

Goldschmidt, M. Leopold, ii. 285 n.

Golfo, Sigismondo, i. 66, 186

Gonzaga, Agostino, ii. 162; on the
sermons of Fra Bernardino Ochino,
382

Gonzaga, Alessandro, i. 23 ; ii. 143 ;
his character, 233 ; at the siege of
Rome, 261

Gonzaga, Barbara, her character, i,
28 ; encouragement of the cloth
manufacture, 28 ; love for her
adopted country, 29 ; her daughters,
31-33 ; on the meeting between
Dorotea and Galeazzo, 32; death,
38. See Brandenburg

Gonzaga, Madonna Camilla, ii. 94,
243. 305; her wedding, 147; in
Rome, 247

Gonzaga, Carlo, i. 3, 24

Gonzaga, Cecilia, pupil of Vittorino,
i. 23 ; her learning, 23 ; enters the
Convent of Corpus Domini, 24;
her death, 24

Gonzaga, Cesare, settles at Urbino,
i. 270 ; on duty at Modena, 271

Gonzaga, Chiara, Duchess of Mont-
pensier, her marriage, i. 38; at

Mantua, 43, 113, 121, 128; death
of her husband, 140; her death,
253. See Montpetisier

Gonzaga, Dorotea, her deformity, i.
31 ; betrothal, 31, 33; death, 33

Gonzaga, Elisabetta, at Ferrara, i. 8 ;
confirmation, 8; delicacy, 38; be-
trothal, 42; affection for her brother
Francesco, 43 ; journey to Urbino,
43 ; reception, 44 ; wedding, 44.
See Urbino

Gonzaga, Ercole, his birth, i. 277;
consecrated Bishop, ii. 209 ; re-
ception at Bologna, 213-215 ; his
tutors, 215 ; studies, 216-218, 219 ;
amusements, 218 ; attack of ague,
219 ; affection for Pomponazzi, 220,
221 ; appointed Cardinal, 256, 267 ;
his poi-trait, 278 ; love of art and
letters, 279; on the cast of a por-
trait-medal of Aristotle, 370

Gonzaga, Federico, his marriage, i.
30 ; Marquis of Mantua, 37 ; death
of his wife, 37 ; of his mother, 38 ;
love for his daughters, 38 ; absence
from Mantua, 38 ; employment of
Andrea Mantegna, 40 ; death, 41

Gonzaga, Federico, Duke of Mantua,
his birth, i. 177 ; christening, 178 ;
godfathers, 178 ; proposed be-
trothal, 227 ; portrait, 379-381 ;
ii. 53, 72-74, 161, 339; sent to
Rome as hostage, 44 ; lodged in
the Belvedere, 44 ; his education,
45 ; life in Rome, 46 ; liberality,
47 ; at Bologna, 47, 309 ; Urbino,
48 ; Ostia, 54 ; his influence over
the Pope, 54, 58 ; visits the
churches, 58; on the death of the
Pope, 75 ; permission to return
home, 75 ; his character, 121 ; edu-
cation, 121-123 ; Pt Milan, 123 ; at
the French court, 124 ; his acci-
dent, 134 ; betrothal, 135, 326, 333 ;
succeeds to the title, 156 ; ap-
pointed Captain-General of the
Church, 185, 198, 231 ; at Venice,
188, 387; his devotion to Isabella
Boschetti; 189, 239, 240; in com-
mand of the papal troops, 190 ;
captures Milan, 190 ; negotiations
with Francis I., 192 ; defence of
Pavia, 199; letter to his cousins,
203 ; return to Mantua, 234 ; breaks
off his engagement, 240 ; on the
death of Giovanni delle Bande
Nere, 253 ; his architectural works,
273 ; created Duke of Mantua, 309,
325 ; preparations for the visit of
Charles V., 309, 317 ; reception of
him, 323; renewal of his suit to

406

INDEX

Maria Paloologa, 332; at Casale,
334; his wedding, 334-33G ; col-
lection of pictures, 339; claims
Montferrato, 3ijl; Vjirth of a son,
351 ; failing health, 387 ; deuth
389

Gonzaga, Ferrante, his birth, i. 293;
his abilities, ii. 237 ; in Spain, 241 ;
joins the Imperialists, 255 ; at the
siege of Rome, 260; meeting with
his mother, 2G2 ; on her escape
from Rome, 2G9; marches against
Florence, 295; at the Imperial
camp, Castiglione di Arezzo, 295 ;
on the surrender of Cortona, 295 ;
strength of his forces, 295 ; matri-
monial schemes, 807 ; marriage,
308, 345 ; in command of the Im-
perial armies, 326 ; commission to
Titian, 327-330; betrothal, 330;
demands for money, 345

Gonzaga, Francesco, Marquis of Man-
tua, his betrothal, i. 3, 38 ; at Fer-
rara, 5, 8 ; attentions to his bride,
6 ; gift of a picture by Mantegna,
6-8 ; on the visit of Lorenzo del
Medici, 39 ; character, 41, 46 ; re-
gard for Mantegna, 42 ; affection
for his sisters, 42, 45; appointed
captain - general of the Venetian
armies, 45, 128, 274; appearance,
46 ; portraits, 46 ; dissensions with
his uncles, 47 ; letter to his wife,
53 ; at Bologna, 58 ; Milan, 60 ;
attends the races at Brescia, 63 ;
his sword of state, 73 ; at Venice,
102, 139; his new palace, 106;
request for a map of Paris, 107 ;
affection for his daughter Leonora,
112, 136 ; on the arrival of French
ambassadors, 112; refuses pro-
posals of Charles VIII., 113 ; ap-
pointed captain of the League,
115 ; on the battle of the Taro,
119; his prowess, 120; at Novara,
122 ; increase of his salary, 123 ;
reception by Charles VIII., 123 ;
triumphal entry into Mantua, 124 ;
memorial, 124 ; in Rome, 137 ; pre-
sented with the golden rose, 137 ;
attack of fever, 138 ; return home,
138, 263 ; dismissal, 141 ; device,
142, 165; motto, 142; efforts to
propitiate the Signory, 143 ; his
mistress, 144; tortuous policy, 145;
offered the command of the allied
forces, 146 ; his overtures to Louis
XII., 151 ; meeting at Milan, 152 ;
his suspicions of Caesar Borgia,
180 ; anxiety for his sister's safety,
180; fears for his life, 236; de-

nounces Caesar Borgia, 239 ; recon-
ciliation, 210; in France, 242; on
the death of Alexander VI., 256;
his campaign in Naples, 263 ; re-
signs Ijis command, 263 ; his re-
sentment against Castiglione, 270 ;
declines the post of Captain-general
of the Republic, 275; joins the
Pope at Perugia, 283 ; on his entry
into Bologna, 285 ; on restoring
the Camera Dipinta, 285 ; at the
siege of Genoa, 295 ; appointed
Grand Master of the Order of St.
Michel, 295; his illness, 306; ii.
56, 86, 94; taken prisoner, 32;
captivity, 38 ; release, 44 ; ap-
pointed Gonfalionereof the Church,
44; his irritability, 86; will, 154;
death, 155; funeral, 156

Gonzaga, Francesco, Ambassador in
Rome, ii. 133, 245 ; on the death
of Elisabetta, 249 ; at the wedding
of the Duke of Mantua, 334 ; con-
spiracy against Federico, 346 ; put
to death, 346

Gonzaga, Francesco, his birth, ii.
351 ; succeeds to the title, 387 ;
marriage and death, 387

Gonzaga, Francesco, at the Univer-
sity of Pavia, i. 30 ; created a
Cardinal, 30 ; love of music and
antiques, 33 ; appointed papal
legate, 34 ; entry into Mantua, 34

Gonzaga, Gianfrancesco, i, 173 ; at
Anspach, 29 ; bequeathed the prin-
cipality of Bozzolo and Sabbioneta,
37 ; his marriage, 47 ; increasing
infirmities, 47

Gonzaga, Gianlucido, i. 23

Gonzaga, Giovanni, i. 41 ; affection
for Isabella d'Este, 48 ; his wed-
ding, 58 ; on the news of the sur-
render of Lodovico, 156 ; on the
death of the Duke of Urbino, 307 ;
his death, ii. 232

Gonzaga, Giovanni Pietro, i. 105

Gonzaga, Ginlia, ii. 243 ; her wedding,
i. 252

Gonzaga, Giulio, his birth, ii. 365

Gonzaga, Guglielmo, his long reign,
ii. 387

Gonzaga, Ippolita, her birth, i. 263

Gonzaga, Isabella, her marriage, ii.
387

Gonzaga, Laura, i. 200, 310. See
Bentivoglio

Gonzaga, Leonora Violante Maria,
her birth, i. 104 ; sponsors, 105 ;
betrothal, 267 ; portrait, 267 ; her
meeting with the Duke of Urbino,
310 ; appearance, 311 ; her journey

INDEX

407

to Urbino, ii. 35 ; impression on
the court, 37. See Urbino
Gonraga, Livia, her birth, i. 186 ;

illness and death, 306
Gonzaga, Livia Osanna, her birth, i.

311 ; vowed to the cloister, 312
Gonzaga, Lodovico, i. 3 ; defeats the
Buonacolsi, 19 ; pupil of Vittorino,
22 ; at the camp of Filippo Vis-
conti, 24 ; reconciliation with his
father, 24 ; marriage, 24 ; literary
ta»tes, 25 ; interest in natural his-
tory, 2G ; decoration of his capi-
tal, 26 ; sculptors and painters, 26 ;
love of antiquity, 27 ; kindness to
Andrea Mantegna, 27; his wife, 28;
daughters, 31-33 ; sons, 33 ; his
death, 37 ; division of his State,
37
Gonzaga, Lodovico, Bishop of Man-
tua, i. 33 ; bequeathed Gazzuolo,
37 ; his efforts to obtain the Cardi-
nal's hat, 47 ; his death, 282
Gonzaga, Bishop Louis, i. 170, 371
Gonzaga, Lucia, i. 3
Gonzaga, Luigi, i. 270 ; ii. 127, 364
Gonzaga, Luigia, ii. 341
Gonzaga, Margarita, at Urbino, ii. 48 ;

betrothal, 48
Gonzaga, Margherita, i. 3 ; her por-
trait, 3 ; elegance of her Latin
letters, 23
Gonzaga, Margherita, her birth, i.

135 ; death, 136
Gonzaga, Duchess Margherita. See

Mantua
Gonzaga, Maddalena, i. 38 ; her be-
trothal, 42 ; marriage, 45 ; sudden
death, 52
Gonzaga, Pirro, ii. 142, 143 ; his mar-
riage, i. 385 ; at Bologna, ii. 213
Gonzaga, Rodolfo, at the court of
Charles the Bold, i. 29; bequeathed
Castiglione, 37
Gonzaga, Sigismondo, at the Univer-
sity of Pavia, i. 41 ; Monsignore il
protonotario, 48 ; accompanies Isa-
bella to Venice, 98, 217 ; negotia-
tions for the Cardinal's hat, 137 ;
on the birth of Isabella's fourth
daughter, 262 ; proclaimed Cardi-
nal, 267 ; on the death of Pope
Julius II., ii. 74 ; candidate for
the Papacy, 194 ; appearance, 194 ;
character, 194 ; on the election of
Adrian VI., 197 ; his death, 248
Gonzaga, Susanna, her deformity, i.

31
Gonzaga, Madonna Susanna, ii. 94
Gortz, Count von, i. 33
Governolo, ii. 253, 267

Grandi, Ercole, ii. 172

Grassi Paride, Biarii, ii. 51 n., 55 n.,
63 n.

Gravina, Duke of, his capture, i.
245

Gregorio, Convent of San, ii. 58

Gregorovius, F., Lucrezia Borgia, i.
179 n., 193 n., 199 n., 214 n.,248n.,
250 n., 257 n. ; ii. 158 n. ; Rom, ii.
254 n., 259 n., 262 n.

Gregory XIII., Pope, ii. 364

Grignano, ii. 101, 106

Grimani, Antonio, ii. 230

Grimani, Marco, his escape from
Rome, ii. 264

Gritti, Andrea, elected Doge, ii. 230 ;
alliance with Charles V., 231 ; his
reception of Isabella d'Este, 234

Grossino, ii, 53; on the churches of
Rome, 59 ; on the statue of the
river-god Tiber, 60; the Feast of
the Jews, 60 ; on the portrait of
Federico Gonzaga, 73

Grotta, Studio of the, foundation,
i. 158 ; poem on, 1.58 ; the marble
doorway, 165 ; collection of paint-
ings and works of art, 272 ; ii. 377-
379 ; library, 379-381

Grottaferrata, ii. 60

Gruyer, Gustave, L'Art Perrarais d
Vipoque de$ Princes d'Este, i. 13 n.,
74 n., 376 n.

Guarino, Battista, tutor to Isabella
d'Este, i. 9, 41 ; letter to, 51, 66 ;
on the death of Duchess Leonora,
103

Guastalla, principality of, ii. 345

Guasti, Saeco di Prato, ii. 68 n.

Gubbio, i. 109, 196

Gubbio, Messer Salviati da, ii. 295

Guicciardini, ii. 64 ; on the return of
Francesco Maria to his Duchy,
192 ; Opere inedite, 255 n., 266 n. ;
on his conduct, 265 ; Storia d' Italia,
286 n. ; at Bologna, 304

Guinea, discovery of a new island, i.

71
Guise, Duke Francis of, ii. 361
Gurk, Matthaus Lang, Bishop of,
present from Isabella d'Este, ii.
39 ; at Mantua, 51 ; interview with
her, 51 ; at the Congress of Man-
tua, 65 ; at the Vatican, 69 ; Milan,
81
Gusnasco, Lorenzo, i. 129 ; Carlo deW
Acqua, 154 n.

Halicabnassus, discovery of the

Tomb at, ii. 17
Henchener, Cardinal Wilhelm, at the

coronation of Charles V., ii. 313

408

INDEX

Henry VII. confers the Order of the
Garter on the Duke of Urbino, i.
270

Henry VIII., his accession, ii. 173 ;
festivities at his court, 174 ; tour-
nament, 175

Hercules, statue of, ii. 9, 45

Hibernia, Island of, ii. 180

Hieronimo, Messer, i. 290

Hoffmann, B., Barbara von Hofien-
zollem, i. 25 n.

Hungary, Matthias Corvinus, King
of, i. 104

IMOLA, i. 196, 284 ; ii. 296
Imola, Vincenzo da, i. 210
Incoronata, chapel of the, i. 26
Inghirami, Cardinal Tommaso, ii. 9,

112
Innocent VIII., Pope, i. 42; employs

Andrea Mantegna, 18
Intra, G. B., Arch. St. Lomb., ii.

346 n.
Ippolito, Matteo, i. 380 ; ii. 44
Ireland, experiences in, ii. 177-180;

impressions of, 180
Italy, league for the defence of, ii.

231; condition, 272; desolation,

272 ; outbreak of plague, 273

Jacquemart, M., ii. 368

Jews, Feast of the, ii. 60

Julius II., elected Pope, i. 258 ; wed-
ding of his daughter, 268 ; expedi-
tion against Perugia, 283; sum-
mons Francesco, 284; at Urbino,
284; Imola, 284; ceremony at
Bologna, 285 ; his gift to Leonora
Gonzaga, ii. 35 ; pronounces the
absolution of Venice, 42; reception
of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino,
42 ; on the release of Francesco,
43; his collection of statues, 44;
declares war against the Duke of
Ferrara, 47 ; affection for Federico
48, 53 ; his campaign against Fer
rara, 50; truce proclaimed, 51
portrait, 53 ; illness, 54 ; recovery,
55 ; opens the Lateran Council, 57
absolves Alfonso, 63 ; his terms re
fused, 63; proceedings against, 63
attack of fever, 72 ; death, 74

Justiniano, M. Pietro, i. 222

KiLDARE, ii. 177

Kristeller, Paul, Andrea Mantegna, i.
8 n., 106 n., 162 n., 363 n. ; Archivio
Qonzaga, 90 n. ; Barbara von Brand-
enburg, 33 ». ; HohemoUern Jahrbuch,
26 n.

Laciso, ii. 102

Lanciani, R., " Destruction of Rome,"

ii. 269 n.

Landi, Ortensio, ii. 282

Lannoy, Viceroy of Naples, in com-
mand of the Imperialists, ii. 254 ;
negotiations with the Pope, 254;
signs a truce, 254 ; at Siena, 255

Laocoon, statue of, ii. 6, 44, 60

Lateran Council, opened, ii. 57

Lautrec, at Mantua, ii. 132 ; hatred
towards, 184; campaign against,
190; concentrates his forces at
Pavia, 199 ; defeated, 199 ; cam-
paign in Naples, 286 ; his death, 293

Lavagnola, Isabella, ii. 87 ; insult
against, 88 ; character, 88, 91

League, a Holy, proclaimed, ii. 56 ;
army of the, defeated at Ravenna,
57

Legnago, ii. 32

Leo X., Pope, i. 269 ; his clavichord,
ii. 29 ; proclaimed Pope, 76 ; coro-
nation, 79; designs against the
Duke of Urbino, 125, 189; permits
him to reside at Mantua, 129 ;
terms, 132; condolences on the
death of the Marquis of Mantua,
157; treaty with Charles V., 183,
185 ; his admiration for Isabella
d'Este, 184 ; intrigues against
Alfonso, 189; his death, 190; por-
trait, 245, 339

Leombruno, Lorenzo, i. 334; ii. 201;
his decoration of the Corte Vecchia,
204

Leptopalidano, i. 226

Lcrmolieff, Oallerie zu Berlin, ii. 368 n.

Ley va, Antonio de, ii. 199 ; his de-
fence of Pavia, 238; defeats St.
Pol's army, 293 ; at Bologna, 298 ;
granted the city of Pavia for life,
310; at the wedding of the Duke
of Mantua, 334, 335

Liburnio, Niccolo, ii. 371 ; Le Sdvette,
371 n.

Ligny, Mons. de, i. 152, 185

Liombeni, Luca, his decoration of
Isabella's studiolo, i. 88 ; threatened
with the dungeon, 89

Lippi, Filippino, i. 330

Litta, Famvjlie celebri, ii. 308 n.,
364 n., 387 n.

Loches, chateau at, i. 242

Lodi, ii. 251

Lombardo, TuUio, his marble door,
ii. 205

Lombardy, invasion of, by the French,
ii. 93 ; war in, 272 ; inundation,
341

Lonato, ii. 95

INDEX

409

London, outbreak of sweating sick-
ness, ii. 181

Longinus, the centurion, i. 26

Longueil, Christophe, in Rome, ii.
166 ; accused of high treason, 166 ;
trial, 167 ; his Latin defence, 167 ;
vindication, 168 ; death, 168

Longueville, Madame de, ii. 40

Loredano, Messer Andrea, i. 361

Lorenzi, Monumenti per la storia d.
Pal. ducale, ii. 33 n.

Loreto, ii. 244 ; pilgrimage to, i.
108 ; ii. 189 ; Campanile of, 13

Louis XII., i. 146 ; alliance with the
Pope, 151 ; entry into Milan, 152;
treaty with Ferdinand, 188 ; at
Milan, 235 ; receives the exiled
princes, 235; welcome to Caesar
Borgia, 238 ; his treatment of the
Marquis of Mantua, 242 ; reverses
in Naples, 250 ; raises a new army,
250; loss of Naples, 263; at the
siege of Genoa, 295 ; reception of
Isabella d'Este at Milan, 297 ;
invites her to France, 303 ; his
intention to visit Italy, ii. 39, 41 ;
his death, 117; marriage of his
daughter, 286

Lucca, races at, i. 63

Lucca, Ammonio of, his death, ii.
182

Lucido, M. Giovanni, i. 246 ; on
Caesar Borgia, 261

Lutheran movement, ii. 224

Luxembourg, Count Jacques de, ii.
174

Luzio, A. " Federico Gonzaija," ii.
164 TU ; his pamphlet Gara clei
Viagr/i, 1. 305 n.', I Precettori
d'Isabella d'Este, 4 n., 6 n., 52 n.,
67 n., 81 n. 89 n., 187 n., 214 n.,
215 n., 225 n., 242 n., 315 «., 320 n.;
ii. 151 n.; I lUtratti d' Isabella d'Este,
i. 93 n.; Rivista Mantovana, ii.
330 n., 333 «., 353 n., 382 n., 384 n.

Luzio e Eenier, Archivio Storico
Lombardo, i. 48 n., 53 «., 57 n.,
61n., 98n., 113 n., 115 n., 118 n.,
123 n., 144 n., 145 n., 147 n., 154 n.,
159 n., 165 n., 233 n., 323 n., 327 n.;
ii. 10 n., 83 n., 87 n., 114 n., 121 n.,
124n.,139n., 202 n., 285 n., 364 n.;
Giom. Stor. d. Lett, i. 10 n., 60 n.,
76 n., 166 n., 239 n., 263 n., 280 n.,
314 n.; ii. 20 n., 23 n., 27 «., 34 n.,
51 n.,56 n., 87 n., 140 n., 150 n., 152 n.,
196 n., 208 n., 213 n., 222 n., 230 n.,
241 n., 279 n., 347 n., 386 n.;
Mantova e Urbino, i. 9 «., 39 n.,
43 n., 44 n., 45 n., 50 n., 51 n,, 52 n.,
69n., 97«., 102 n., 105 n., 109 n.,

112 «., 136 n., 170 n., 178 n., 182 n.,
218 n., 228 n., 237 n., 241 n., 255 n.,
265 n., 268 w., 284 n., 307 n., 309 n..
311 n.; ii. 6 n., 35 n., 68 n., 69 n.,
117 n., 127 n., 170 n., 187n., 23G n.,
239 n., 242 n., 250 n., 268 n., 344 n.,

365 n.; Nuova Antoloyia, i. 55 n.,
63n., 73n., 116 n., 138 n., 215 n.,
227 «.; ii. 41 n., 81 n., 124 «.,
131 «., 134 «., 207 n., 345 n., 364 n.,

366 n.

Lyons, ii, 133 ; treaty signed at, i.
263

Machiavelli, Niccolo, at Mantua,
i. 274 ; on the defeat of the
Venetians, ii. 32

Macintosh, Miss, ii. 165

Madonna della Vittoria, church of
the, i. 125

Madrid, ii. 236; Treaty of, signed,
251

Maflfei, Count Niccolo, i. 328

Maffei, Count Nicola, ii. 334

Magellan, his journey round the
world, ii. 225

Magenta, Carlo, / Visconti e Sforza
nel Castello di Pavia, i. 56 n.

Maguzano, ii. 96, 191

Mahomet II., Sultan, his portrait, i.
100

Maineri, Gianfrancesco, i. 150

Malalbergo, i. 198, 200

Malamocco, i., 139 ; forts of, 98

Malaspina, Carlo, ii. 281

Malatesta, Carlo, his treatment of
Virgil's statue, i. 173

Malatesta, Francesco, i. 247 ; on the
sketch of Angelo Tovaglia's house,
318 ; on Lorenzo dei Medici's
vases, 322

Malatesta, Paola, i. 20

Malvezzi, Luca, ii. 32

Manfredi, Astorre, taken captive to
Rome, i. 188

Manfredi, Manfredo de, letter from,
i. 321

Mantegna, Andrea, his pictures, i.
6-8, 90, 91, 124, 272, 287, 359,
370 ; absence from Isabella d'Este's
wedding, 17; in Rome, 18; his
treatment at Mantua, 27 ; his
frescoes of the Camera degli Sposi,
35 ; employed by Federico and
Francesco Gonzaga, 40, 42 ; his
portraits, 46, 91 ; return from
Rome, 86 ; his paintings for the
Studio of the Grotta, 161, 317;
his death, 285, 369; illness, 359,
363 ; appeal on behalf of his son,
362 ; pecuniary difficulties, 363 ;

410

INDEX

appeal to Isabella for belp, 864;
price of his bust of Faustina, 365 ;
his sketch of Comas, 366 ; pictures
in his workshop, 370; his Tondo,
ii. 172

Mantegna, Francesco, his series of
Triumphs at Marniirolo, i. 106 ;
repairs the Camera Bipinta, 290 ;
banished from Mantua, 3G2 ; char-
acter, 870

Mantua, Federico, Marquis of. See
Gonzaga

Mantua, Federico, Duke of. See
Gonzaga

Mantua, Francesco, Marquis of. See
Gonzaga

Mantua, Duchess Margherita, entry
into Mantua, ii. 343 ; her char-
acter, 345 ; birth of a son, 351

Mantua, entry into, i. 16; festivities,
17; population, 19; prosperity
under the Gonzaga princes, 19 ;
printing-press, 26 ; carnival fStes
at, 183; ii. 188; plays, i. 264;
ii. 349 ; outbreak of plague, i. 279,
283, 359; ii. 273; number of
deaths, i. 283; Congress at, ii.
65 ; manufacture of embroidered
caps, 366 ; sacked by the Germans,
390

Mantua, Castello, frescoes of the
Camera degli Sposi, i. 35 ; Palaz-
zina, ii. 336

Mantua, Duomo, chapel of the In-
coronata, i. 26 ; churches of S.
Sebastian and S. Andrea, 26 ; Area
di S. Anselmo, 38

Mantua, General Council of 1459, i.
29

" Mantua-maker," origin of the word,
ii. 367

Manuel, Don Juan, Imperial Am-
bassador, ii. 195

Manuzio, Aldo, i. 77, 133, 223, 341 ;
ii. 149 ; his editions of classical
authors, 21 ; letter to Isabella
d'Este, 24 ; price of his books, 26 ;
arrest and imprisonment, 27 ; re-
lease, 28 ; death, 29
Maramaldo, Signer Fabrizio, ii. 328
Marcello, Alvise, i. 221, 223 ; his
efforts to obtain Bellini's picture,
349
Marchese, Leonello, ii. 154, 202
Marchetto, i. 271 ; ii. 38
Maria della Grazie, S., i. 106
Maria sopra Minerva, Sta., Dominican

Convent of, ii. 60
Mariano, Fra. See Fetti
Marignano, defeat of the Swiss at, ii.
120

Marino, i. 181 ; castle of, ii. 63

Mario, Monto, ii. 258

Marmirolo, villa of, i. 40 ; decorations,
106 ; palace, banquet at, ii. 324

Maroscello, Margherita. See Can-
telma

Marot, Clement, his hymn on Ren^e
de France, ii. 290 ; at Ferrara, 384

Marseilles, ii. 124

Martinati, Notizie intorno di Cattig-
Hone, ii. 190 n.

Martini, Don Giovanni, the German
Kapellmeister, i. 10, 57 ; his sing-
ing lessons, 86

Mattello, on the birth of Isabella's
daughter, i. 104 ; his imitations,
134 ; death, 134

Maximilian, Emperor, league with
the Duke of Milan, i. 146 ; sponsor,
178 ; his letter on Aldo Manuzio,
ii. 28 ; death, 154

May-day, revels held on, ii. 246

Medici, Alessandro dei, Duke of
Florence, ii. 294

Medici, Cardinal Giovanni dei, on the
illness of the Pope, ii. 54 ; taken
prisoner, 57 ; proclaimed Pope Leo
X., 76

Medici, Cardinal Giulio dei, elected
Pope Clement VII., ii. 194, 195, 232

Medici, Caterina dei, ii. 159 ; pro-
posed marriage, 198

Medici, Giovanni dei, at Mantua, i.
105

Medici, Giovanni deUe Bande Nere,
ii. 253

Medici, Giovanni Matteo dei, ii. 198

Medici, Giuliano dei, ii. 48, 110 ; at
the Congress of Mantua, 65 ; return
to Florence, 67 ; Gonfaloniere of
the Church, 125 ; his illness, 125 ;
death, 126
Medici, Ippolito dei, ii. 323 ; at
Bologna, 302 ; raised to the Car-
dinaiate, 307 ; his accident, 324 ;
sonnets on Tullia of Aragon, 384
Medici, Lorenzo dei, his visit to

Mantua, i. 39 ; his vases, 322
Medici, Lorenzo dei, despot of Flor-
ence, ii. 94 ; Gonfaloniere of the
Church, 126 ; seizes Urbino, 127 ;
created Duke of Urbino, 129 ; his
death, 159
Medici, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco dei,
sponsor, i. 105 ; congratulations on
the birth of Isabella's daughter, 105
Medici, Ottaviano dei, ii. 245
Medici, Piero dei, ii. 94 ; drowned,

i. 263
Medina del Campo, Tower of, i. 261
Medola, benefice of, ii. 327

INDEX

411

Meliolo, Bartolommeo, appointed
Master of the Mint, i. 108

Mellini, Celso, his accusation against
Longueil, ii. 166 ; his Latin oration,
167 ; drowned, 168

Mellini, Mario, ii. 167

Mereschalchi, Zanino, ii. 97

Messibugo, his book on Duke Ercole'e
banquet, ii. 292

Metaurus, valley of the, i. 229

Mezzo, Lago di, i. 20

Michel Angelo, i. 233 ; his Sleeping
Cupids, 232, 272; ii. 6; paintings
in the Sistina, 62

Michiel, Marc Antonio, ii. 38

Middelburg, ii. 177, 182

Migliorotti, Atalante, i. 85 ; at Man-
tua, 86

Milan, Duchess Bona of, i. 4, 40. See
Sforza

Milan, Filippo Visconti, Duke of, i.
24. See Visconti

Milan, Francesco Sforza, Duke of,
restoration to the Duchy, ii. 184,
198 ; reception, 199 ; evacuates
Milan, 238 ; wounded, 309 ; re-
ception by Charles V., 309; receives
the investiture of Milan, 309 ; at
the wedding of the Duke of Man-
tua, 335 ; his wedding, 361 ; death,
375

Milan, Giangaleazzo Sforza, Duke of,
i. 55 ; his betrothal, 31, 33 ; death
of his father, 33 ; marriage, 33 ;
death, 114

Milan, Duchess Isabella of. (SeeAragon

Milan, Lodovico Sforza, proclaimed
Duke, i. 114 ; treaty of peace with
Charles VIII., 123; death of his
wife, 140 ; his league with the
Emperor Maximilian, 146 ; at Man-
tua, 147 ; agreement with the
Marquis, 148 ; on the portrait of
Isabella, 150; downfall, 152; re-
turn, 155 ; surrender at Novara, 156

Milan, Maximilian Sforza, Duke of,
at Mantua, ii. 80 ; character, 81,
93 ; state entry into Milan, 81 ;
weakness and incapacity, 93 ; sus-
picion of his brother, 93 ; abdica-
tion, 120

Milan, visits to, i. 61, 62 ; carnival,
ii. 80; captured by the Imperialists,
190, 251 ; siege, 232 ; evacuated, 238

Mincio, i. 20 ; ii. 95 ; frozen over,
146 ; overflows, 342

Miracle-play, a, i. 251

Mirandola, Galeotto della, i. 57 ; his
construction of a dyke, 59

Mirandola, Messer Pandolfo Pico
della, ii. 277

Mirandola, siege of, ii. 50

Modena, i. 5 ; ii. 63, 287 ; pajjal camp
at, i. 271 ; capture of, ii. 50

Modesto, i. 247

Molino, M. Alvise, i. 222

Molle, Ponte, ii. 265

Molza, the poet, ii. 247 ; his escape
from Rome, 270 ; on the sale of his
Library, 279

Moncada, Don Ugo di, ii. 252

Moncenigo, M. Alvise, i. 222

Mond, M. Ludwig, ii. 340

Montargis, ii. 286

Montefeltro, Federico di, Duke of
Urbino, i. 22 ; pupil of Vittoriao, 22

Montefeltro, Odd' Antonio di, i. 23

MonfeiTato, Marchioness Anna of, ii.
40, 135

Monferrato, Marquis Bonifuzio of, at
Bologna, ii. 302 ; at the coronation
of Charles V., 313, 315 ; his death,
331

Monferrato, Giovanni Giorgio, Mar-
quis of, succeeds to the title, ii.
331 ; his marriage, 351 ; death,
351

Monferrato, Guglielmo II., Marquis
of, i. 297 ; betrothal of his daugh-
ter, ii. 135; death, 135

Monferrato, Margherita Paleologa,
her betrothal, ii. 333 ; marriage,
335. See Mantua, Duchess of

Monferrato, Maria Paleologa, hel
beti-othal, ii. 135 ; broken oli', 240

Monferrato, annexed to Mantua, ii.
351

Montpelier, ii. 182

Montpensier, Chiara Gonzaga, Du-
chess of. See Gonzaga

Montpensier, Gilbert, Duke of, i.
113; his marriage, 38; retires to
Calabria, 128 ; forced to surrender,
136; attack of fever, 136, 138;
death, 140

Morgantino, the dwarf, ii, 363

Morrison, Mrs. Alfred, i. 150 n.

Morsolin, B., P. Ohiericati, ii. 84 n.,
175 n. ; G. 0. Trissino, 373 n.

Moschus, Demetrius, i. 78

Miintz, M. Eugene, i. 321 n,

Murano, i. 100

Muratori, Diario Ferrarese, in Rerum
Italicarum Soriptores, i. 1 n., 58 n.,
212 n.

Musocho, Contessa di, 1. 298

Nanino, the dwarf, ii. 81
Naples, King Federico, his abdica-
tion, i. 189 ; retires to France, 189
Naples, King Ferrante I., i. 3
Naples, King Ferrante II., driven

412

INDEX

into exile, i. 115 ; recovers his king-
dom, 128 ; death, 139 ; portrait, 139
Naples, Infanta Giulia, ii. 307. See

Aragon
Naples, Queen of, her reception by

Charles V., ii. 306
Naples, Ambassador of, i. 15
Naples, conquest of, i. 115 ; surren-
ders, 188 ; campaign in, 263 ; visit

to, ii. 114
Nassau, Count of, at Bologna, ii. 302
Navagero, his verses, ii. 29 ; librarian

of San Marco, 145 ; on Titian's

picture of St. Jerome, 229 ; on a

gold cap, 367
Navarre, King of, i. 261
Negro, master of the horse, i. 150
Negroponto, Giorgio da, ii. 45 ; on

the discovery of the Hercules of

the Belvedere, 9
Nepi, i. 255
Nere, Giovanni delle Bande, his

death, ii. 253
Nero, medal of, ii. 9
Nevers, Madame de, ii. 40
Nevers, Duchy of, ii. 364
Norsa, Daniele, i. 117, 124
Novara, Bartolino da, i. 1 ; architect

of the Castello Rosso, 20
Novara, camp at, i. 122 ; surrender,

123, 155 ; battle of, ii. 93 ; taken

by the French, 232
Novellara, Camilla Gonzaga di, ii.

243 ; in Rome, 247
Novellara, Fra Pietro da, the Car-

mellite Vicar-General, i. 79, 139 ;

his letters on Leonardo da Vinci,

319, 320
Niirnberg, Diet of, ii. 224
Nys, Daniel, 1. 233

Oceanic Sba, islands of the, ii. 225
Ochino, Fra Bernardino, ii. 290; his

new Order of Reformed Friars, 382 ;

sermons, 382, 384
Odasio, i. 307

Oglio, river, ii. 148 ; overflows, 342
Olduino, Messer Giulio, ii. 88, 149
Oliverotto, murdered, i. 244
Omagh, ii. 177
Orange, Prince of, ii. 258 ; in the

Vatican, 260 ; at Bologna, 307 ;

death, 826
Orflec, Edmond, ii. 147
Organ, an alabaster, ii. 207
Orleans, Duke of, at Novara, i. 122
Orsini, Fabio, i. 203
Orsini, Giovanni, lord of Bracciano,

his wedding, i. 268
Orsini, Paolo, his capture, i. 245
Orsini, Rinaldo, imprisoned, i. 246

Orsini degli Uberti, Madonna, i. 310

Osanna, Suor, her prophecy on Caesar
Borgia, i. 255 ; death, 275 ; beati-
fication, 275; ii. 139; interment, 312

Ostia, ii. 54, 266

Ostiglia, Governor of, ii. 348

Pacioli, Luca, i. 155 ; his " Book of

Games," 171

Padua, i. 101, 224 ; ii. 32

Pagano, i. 75, 121

Palatine of the Rhine, Count, at
Bologna, ii. 302

Paleologa, Princess Margherita, ber
betrothal, ii. 332; wedding, 335.
See Mantua, Duchess of

Paleologa, Maria, negotiations for
her hand, ii. 331 ; death, 332

Palisse, La, ii. 244

Pcdla, the game of, i. 21 ; ii. 123, 324

Pallavicini, Antonio, i. 153, 239 ; Car-
dinal di 8. Prassede, 296 ; ii. 5

Pallavicino, Galeazzo, i. 154

Palliano, castle of, ii. 252, 308

Palmieri, Mons., ii. 275

Palos, i. 94

Pampeluna, i. 261

Panicale, i. 337

Panizzato, Niccolo, lecturer in the
University of Ferrara, i. 66

Paola, Sister, i. 312. See Osanna
Gonzaga

Paolo fuori le Mura, S., ii. 58

Parma, i. 113 ; given up, ii. 69

Pasolini, Caterina Sjorza, ii. 253 n.

Pasquino, ii. 191, 238 ; his verses,
206 ; witticisms, 248

Passavant, Kunstreise, ii. 162 n.

Pastor "History of the Popes," i.
24 «., 179 «., 187 n., 254 n., 255 n.,
258 n. ; ii. 51 n., 67 n.

Patrick, St., Purgatory of, ii. 178

Paul III., Pope, his proposed Council,
ii. 383 ; at Ferrara, 386

Pavia, Lorenzo da, i. 223, 341 ; or-
dered to make a clavichord, 129,
153; a lute, 131, 172; correspond-
ence with Isabella d'Este, 132;
characteristics, 133 ; on her por-
trait, 173; his efforts to obtain
Giovanni Bellini's picture, 344,
347 ; on its completion, 351 ; on
the death of Andrea Mantegna,
369 ; on the Aldine classics, ii. 21-
23; on the clavichord for Pope
Leo X., 29; congratulations on
the birth of Isabella's grandson,
30 ; death, 30 ; his organ for the
Pope, 113

Pavia, Maximilian, Count of, his be»
trothal, i. 148

INDEX

413

Pavia, fetes at, i, 61 ; battle of, ii.
199, 244; siege of, 238; anniversary
of the victory, 314

Pavia, Certosa at, i. 56, 164

Pavia, University of, i. 30, 41

Peace, proclamation of, ii. 310

Pedro, Diego di San, La Cartel 6! Amor,
ii. 20 n.

Pelissier, L., Louii XII. et L. Sforza, i.
145 n., 152 n. ; Revue, historique,
243 n.

Pellipario, Nicolo, ii. 369

Pennine, Monte, ii. 100

Pepoli, Count, ii. 318 ; at Ponte Molle,
265

Peroto, i. 190

Perugia, seized, i. 244

Perugino, i. 163, his Triumph of
Chastity, 272, 338 ; defects of the
picture, 339 ; requested to paint a
picture for the Grotta, 328 ; his
altar-pieces, 328 ; contract, 330 ;
instructions, 331-333 ; delays, 334 ;
his absence from Florence, 336 ; at
Perugia, 337

Peruzzi, Baldassarre, ii. 113

Pesaro, i. 108, 196; ii. 243; surrender,
i. 187

Pescara, Marquis of, ii. 82, 115, 244;
his betrothal, i. 182 ; taken pri-
soner, ii. 57 ; amours with Delia,
ii. 115, 116

Pescara, Marchesa di, ii. 115. See
Colonna, Vittoria

Peschiera, ii. 83, 99, 102

Petrarca, Messcr Francesco, i. 1, 167

Petriolo, baths at, i. 25

Petronio, S., Cathedral of, i. 285

Petrucci, Cardinal Pandolfo, ii. 117;
plot against, i. 246 ; deposed, 249

Philippi, Domino, i. 169

Phillips, Claude, "The Picture Gal-
lery of Charles I.," ii. 162 n.

Pia, Alda, ii. 280

Pia, Emilia, i. 160, 217 ; ii. 145 ;
death of her husband, i. 182; letters
to Isabella d'Este, 268 ; her death,
ii. 279

Pia, Margherita, i. 154. See Sanseve-
rino, Margherita di

Piacenza, ii. 253 ; given up, 69

Piccinino, romances of, i. 76

Piccolomini, Cardinal, elected Pope,
i. 255 ; death, 258

Picenardi, Alexander, i. 69 ; on the
return of Elisabetta to Urbino,
259 ; journey to, ii. 36 ; on the
majolica, 369

Pico, Messer Pandolfo, on the death
of Raphael, ii. 168

Pietola, i. 22, 25 ; ii. 127

Pietro, Fra, i. 126
Pieve, Citth, della, i. 337
Pigafetti, Antonio, ii. 225 ; his Itin-
erary, 226 ; at Mantua, 227
Pigliano, Comte de, i. 119
Pio, Alberto, ii. 28, 48, 259, 279
Pio, Constantino, ii. 144
Pio, Ercole, his Eclogue, i. 306
Pio, Leonello, ii. 279
Pio, Marco, of Carpi, 1. 17
Piombo, Sebastiano del, ii. 248, 277;

his portrait of Cardinal Ercole, 278
Piperario, Andrea, ii. 231
Pisa, Council summoned at, ii. 52
Pisanello, i. 2 ; his portraits, 3 ; fres-
coes, 12, 26 ; medal of Cecilia

Gonzaga, 24
Pisani, Cardinal, ii. 363)
Pisano, Zorzo, i. 98
Pistoia, his elegy on Mattello, i. 134 ;

his poems, 387 ; portrait, 391
Pius II., Pope, at the Council of

Mantua, i. 29
Pius III., elected Pope, i. 258 ; his

death, 258
Pizzino, Cardinal, ii. 256
Plague, outbreak of, at Ferrara, ii.

288 ; Mantua, i. 359 ; ii. 273; Rome,

224, 269
Platina, his poem, " The Dream of

the Marquis, i. 25 ; tutor to Fede-

rico Gonzaga, 28
Po, the, i. 5, 12, 16, 43, 55, 265 ; ii.

253 ; frozen over, i. 56 ; ii. 146 ;

rising of the, 341
Pol, Mons. de St.,ii. 132, 244; defeat

of his army, 293
Poland, King of, ii. 114
Pole, Reginald, iL 166
Poliziano, Angelo, his drama, " Or-

feo," i. 34, 86
Pompeo, Cardinal, ii. 252
Pomponazzi, Pietro, his appearance,

ii. 149, 217 ; at Bologna, 212 ; his

" Treatise on the Immortalitv of

the Soul," 212; Apologia, 213;

lectures, 217 ; on the progress of

his pupil Ercole, 218 ; death, 220 ;

burial, 221
Ponia, i. 219
Pontanus, on the erection of a statue

to Virgil, i. 174
Ponzone, on the Indians in the New

World, i. 96
Popes, election of, i. 255, 258 ; ii. 75,

194, 232
Porretta, baths of, i. 34, 68
Porto, Luigi da, Lettere Storiche, ii.

33 n.
Porto, ducal villa of, i. 38, 102 ; ii. 140 ;

visit to, i. 227 ; gardens at, ii. 370

414

INDEX

i'ozzi, Gian Lnca, i. 192

Pozzuoli, i. 138

Praasede, Cardinal di S., ii. 5

Prato, Cronaca Arch. St. It., ii. 81 n. ;

Cronaca Milanese, i. 155 n.
Prato, Btormed and sacked, ii. 67
Praxiteles, the Cupid of, ii. 6
Prete, II., on the appearance and

character of Lucrezia Borgia, i.

193 ; on the preparations for the

wedding, 193
Preti, Donato de', i. 114 ; ii. 41
Preti, Vincenzo de', ii. 215 ; on

Ercole's progress in his studies,

216, 218
Preti, Violante de', governess to the

daughters of Federico Qonzaga, i.

38 ; her letters, 38
Prisciani, Pellegrino, ii. 33 ; on the

question of Galeotto's dyke, i. 59
Prosper!, Bernardo dei, on the blank

left by Isabella d'Este, i. 51 ; on

the play at Ferrara, 264; on the

deaths of Ercole Strozzi and

Niccolo da Correggio, 313 ; on the

beauty of Isabella, ii. 134
Prospero, Bartolommeo, ii. 286
Pucci, Cardinal, at the siege of

Rome, ii. 259 ; on the proclamation

of peace, 310
Pungileoni, Elogio, ii. 162 n., 338 n.
Pusterla, Porta deUa, i. 287

Quarterly Review, ii. 250 n.

Raousa, Giorgio da, goldsmith of
Venice, i. 16

Rangone, Guido, ii. 251

Rangone, Count Niccolo, i. 71

Rangoni, Ginevra, her marriage, i. 169

Raphael, his portrait of Julius II., ii.
53 ; of Federico, 53, 72-74, 161 ;
appointed architect of St. Peter's,
112 ; his design for the tomb of the
Marquis of Mantua, 160 ; promise
to paint a picture for Isabella, 163 ;
pictures, 164; loggia, 165; death,
169 ; his portrait of Leo X., 339

Ravenna, Bendetto, Accolti, Cardinal
of, on the visit of Vittoria Colonna,
ii. 385

Ravenna, i. 43, 108, 138; ii. 35;
battle of, 67

Redini, Fra Girolamo, i. 125

Reggio, 1. 15, 32 ; ii. 63, 235, 294

Renier. See Luzio

Reumont, A., Rom., ii. 266 n., 312 n.

Revere, i. 26, 69

Rhodes, Island of, ii. 14

Riario, Cardinal, i. 233

Riccio, Antonio, i. 165

Richelieu, Cardinal, ii. 390

Richter, D., i. 321 n.

Rimini, surrender of, i. 187

Roberti, Ercole, i. 88 ; employed to
decorate the halls of Belriguardo,
12 ; decoration of the wedding
chests, 14

Rocca di Lonato, the, ii. 96 ; di Ser-
mione, 98

Rocco, Fra, the Milanese goldsmith,
i. 14

Rodolfo, accident to, ii. 108

Rodomonte, Luigi, ii. 148, 260 ;
rescues Isabella Colonna, 308 ;
secret marriage, 308; his death,
375

Rodomonte, Vespasiano, ii. 375

Romagna, Duke of, i. 230. See Borgia

Romagna, 1. 112; conquest of, 187

Romano, Eccelino, the tyrant, ii 145

Romano, Giovanni Cristoforo, i. 132;
his work on the Certosa of Pavia,
164 ; his bust of Beatrice, 164 ;
marble door in the Grotta, 165;
ii. 205 ; busts of Isabella, i. 165 ;
portrait-medal, 166 ; his monument
to Suor Osanna, 275 ; on the birth
of Isabella's second son, 277 ; in-
curable malady, ii. 1 ; at Milan, 2 ;
on Caradosso'a bowl and inkstand,
2; in Rome, 5, 7; at Naples, 12;
his medals, 13 ; employed to re-
build the Campanile of Loreto, 13 ;
death, 13

Romano, Giulio, ii. 239, 245; his
monument to Castiglione, 271 ; de-
corations of Mantua, 323 ; freacoes
of the story of Psyche, 325 ; deco-
rations at the Oastello, 336 ; choice
of pictures, 338 ; his portrait of
Federico, 338 ; on erecting a bridge,
341

Rome, visits to, i. 181; ii. 110, 116;
fetes in, i. 195 ; rising of the Orsini,
250 ; outbreak of plague, 269 ; ii.
224, 269; carnival at, 70; mas-
querade, 71 ; invasion of the Im-
perialists, 252 ; siege, 258 ; sack of
the city, 259-262, 264

Rosena, i. 167

Rossetti, Biagio, i. 57 ; Ii. 371

Rossi, v., (Horn., i. 47 n. ; Mutiea in
Urbino, ii. 280 n.

Rosso, Castello, i. 1

Rothschild, M. Alphonse de, ii. 368

Rovere, Francesco Maria della, i.
229, 244; heir to the duchy of
Urbino, 259; his betrothal, 267;
succeeds to the duchy, 307. Set
Urbino

Rovere, Giovanni della, i. 329

INDEX

415

Rovere, Giovanni della, Prefect of

Rome, i. 40, 258
Rovere, Cardinal Giuliano della, i.

229, 255 ; proclaimed Pope, 258
Rubens, Peter Paul, his copy of

Titian's portrait of Isabella d'Este,

ii. 284 ; of Francia's portrait, 356
Rusca, Conntess Eleonora, ii. 285

Sabbioneta, principality of, i. 37
Sacchetta, villa of, i. 279 ; submerged,

ii. 342
Sadoleto, ii. 166; papal secretary,

247 ; on the ruin of Rome, 270
Sainte-Baume, pilgrimage to the
shrine of St. Mary Magdalene at,
ii. 133
Salai, i. 320, 326; his opinion on
Perugino's picture, 335; offers his
services, 336
Salerno, Prince Ferrante of, ii. 317
Salimbeni, Antonio, i. 75, 100
Sal5, i. 50; ii. 100, 101, 363
Saluzzo, Marquis of, ii. 351
Sancte, Zohan de. See Santi, Gio-
vanni
SanseVfcrino, Antonio Maria di, i. 154
Sanseverino, Cardinal di, i. 268 ;

sponsor, 178
Sanseverino, Galeazzo di, i. 142 ; ii.
244 ; controversy with, Isabella
d'Este, i. 76 ; Grand Ecuyer de
France, 296 ; .^t Muntpelier, ii. 182
Sanseverino, Guspare di, 50, 148
Sanseverino, Madonna Margherita di,

i. l.';4, 298 ; ii. 2, 145
Sansovino, M. Giacomo, ii. 275
Santi, Giovanni, his portrait of Isa-
bella d'Este, i. 92; death, 111
Sanuto, Marino, i. 120, 136, 139, 141;
on the arrival of Isabella d'Este in
Venice, ii. 234; Diarii, i. 146 n.,
149 n., 197 n., 204 n., 222 n., 225 n.,
240 n., 263 n.; ii. 55 n., 123 «., 131
n., 138 n., 155 n., 188 n., 198 n.,
228 n., 230 n., 234 n., 238 n., 256
n., 263 n., 264 n., 266 n., 268 n.,
296 n., 308 n., 319 n., 323 n., 326
n., 334 n., 336 n., 342 n„ 343 n.,
349 n., 351 n.
Sarto, Andrea del, ii. 245
Savelli, Cardinal, i. 181
Savoie, Louise de, ii. 233, 293
Savonarola, his Miserere, i. 80
Savoy, Beatrice of Portugal, Duchess
of, at Bologna, ii. 318; her ap-
pearance, 319 ; fete, 321
Savoy, Bona of, i. 33
Savoy, Charles, Duke of, i. 297 ; at the
coronation of Charles V., ii. 313,
315 ; appearance, 319

Sbernia or mantle, i. 54
Scala, Isola della, ii. 32
Scalona, Battista, i. 101, 347, 352;

ii. 39
Scarampa, Camilla, ii. 141
Scartino, i. 94
Schifanoia or Sans Souci, L 12, 57;

ii. 358
Schinner, Cardinal, ii. 57, 194; at

Milan, 81
Schivenoglia, A., the Mantuan

Chronicler, i. 5 ; on the reception

of the Marquis of Mantua, 5 ;

Cronaca di Mantova, 30 n.; on the

plague, 283
Scodella or bowl, ii. 368
Scufiotti or caps, ii. 366
Sebastiano, Church of S., i. 26 ; ii. 59
Sebastiano, San, palace of, i. 106,

143, 287, 289
Secchia, river, i. 59
Secondo, Jacopo di San, the viol-
player, i. 102
Selvapiena, i. 167
Serafino, Fra, his poems, i. 170 ;

sends Isabella d'Este a marble

figure, ii. 5
Serassi, Lettere di Castiglione, i. 153 n.,

254 n.; ii. 186 n., 187 n.; Lettere di

Ne(jozi, 192 n., 195 n., 210 n., 231

n.,236 n., 238 n.
Sermide, i. 217
Sermione, i. 50; ii. 97, 100, 107,

363 ; classic gardens of, i. 50
Serravalle, Vicar of, i. 290
Sesso, Mes.ser Carlo da, i. 188
Sestola, Girolamo da, his singing

lessons to Isabella d'Este, i. 86 ;

on the visit of Titian to Mantua,

ii. 171 ; on the death of Ariosto,

347 ; his letters from Ferrara, 358
Sforza, Anna, i. 15 ; her marriage,

55 : entry into Ferrara, 57 ; death,

143
Sforza, Cardinal Ascanio, i. 63, 155,

164
Sforza, Beatrice, Duchess of Milan,

birth of her sons, i. 65, 96, 114;

sponsor, 105 ; death, 140 ; her

bust, 164. See Milan
Sforza, Duchess Bianca, i. 31
Sforza, Bona, i. 4, 40; her betrothal,

ii. 114; marriage, 114. jSee Milan
Sforza, Caterina, i. 105
Sforza, Francesco, ii. 66, 184 ; his

birth, i. 114. See Milan
Sforza, Gianpaolo, i. 374
Sforza, Giovanni, lord of Pesaro, hii

betrothal, i. 42 ; marriage, 45 ;

death of his wife, 52 ; dissolution

of his second marriage, 187; flies

416

INDEX

to Mantua, 187; at Milan, 235; on

the death of the Pope, 254
Sforza, Ippolita, i. 374 ; her marriage,

32
Sforza, Lodovico, i. 5 ; his betrothal,

5 ; wedding, 55 ; sponsor, 105 ;

proclaimed Duke of Milan, 114.

See Milan
Sforza, Maximilian, his claims to the

Duchy of Milan, ii. 66. See Milan
Sforza, Tristan, i. 83
Shakespeare, lines from, ii. 250
Sicco, Stefano, i. 50
Siena, ii. 117, 255; racea at, i. 63;

attack on, 244
Sigismund, Emperor, at Mantua, i.

20, 24
Silvestri, Frate Francesco, General of

the Dominican Order, i. 79, 277 ; on

the education of Federico Gonzaga,

276 ; ii. 33 ; at Porto, 140
Silvestri, Guido, ii. 51
Sinigaglia, ii. 244 ; massacre of, i.

244
Soardino, Jacopo, ii. 39
Soardo, Cavaliere, ii. 144
Soderini, Madonna Argentina, i. 327
Soderini, Giovanni, at the Congress

of Mantua, ii. 65
Soderini, Gonfaloniere Piero, i. 274,

279
Solari, Cristoforo, at Mantua, ii.

139 ; his design of a fountain,

139 ; death, 139
Solarolo, ii. 296; administration of,

364
Solferino, ii. 95
Solmi, Signer, i. 321 n.
Soranzo, Ser Piero, at Mantua, ii.

136-138
Soranzo, Zuan, i. 139
Bordello, Piazza, ii. 131
Soubise, Madame de, ii. 288 ; her

influence on the Duchess Rende,

359
Spagnoli, Battista, the Mantuan

Carmelite, i. 79 ; his bust, 176
Spain, Queen Isabella of, her funeral,

i. 268
Sperandio, i. 82 ; his medals, 12, 124
Spice Islands, ii. 225
Spinola, Messer Cristoforo, i. 64
Spoleto, i. 196, 228
Stabellino, ii. 331 ; on the return of

Isabella d'Este's portrait, 854 ; his

letters from Ferrara, 358 ; on

Tullia of Aragon, 384
Stampa, Count Maximilian, ii. 334
Stanga, Marchesino, i. 64, 148, 164
Stefano, Prete, ii. 130
Stellata, i. 218

Stoppino, Fra, i. 2G5

Strange, Mr. Guy le, i. 122

Strascino, ii. 149; his comic recita-
tions, 206 ; farce, 388

Strozza, Agostino, i. 334 ; on Peru-
gino's absence, 336

Strozzi, Ercole, i. 129, 199, 272;
murdered, 312; his epigram on
the Sleeping Cupid, 315

Strozzi, Giambattista, on the dis-
covery of the New World, i. 95

Strozzi, Guido, his wedding, i. 98

Strozzi, Lorenzo, ii. 81

Strozzi, Tito, i. 98

Strozzi, Tommaso, ii. 133, 144

Suffolk, Duke of, ii. 174, 175

Sweating sickness, outbreak of, ii.
181

Tahl silk, i. 121

Tapestries, i. 15, 17

Taro, battle of the, i. 118

Tasso, Bernardo, ii. 289 ; his Epitha-
lamium, 333; II Libra degli Amori,
347 ; appointed Governor of
Ostiglia, 348

Tasso, Torquato, ii. 348

Tfe, meadows of the, ii. 131 ; palace,
239, 377 ; Piazza, 138

Tebaldeo, Antonio, i. 81, 166, 313 ; on
Isabella d'Este's verses, 81 ; his
epitaph on Mattello, 134 ; verses,
ii. 87-91

Tedaldo, Castel, i. 202

Temistan, ii. 225

Teodora, Madonna, i. 144, 201

Terence, " Andria," ii. 116

Terni, i. 196

Testagrossa, Angelo, i. 129 ; ii. 38,
135

Thon, De, on the statue of Cupid, i.
233 ; ii. 6

Tiber, statue of the river-god, ii. 60

Titian, his portrait of Isabella d'Este,
i. 9 ; ii. 284 ; at Mantua, i. 391 ; ii.
171, 227; his pictures, 227, 228,
229, 327-330, 339 ; commissions,
327 ; death of his wife, 327 ; on
the marriage of the Duke of Man-
tua, 333 ; his portrait of Federico,
339 ; of the Duke and Duchess of
Urbino, 375 ; copies Francia's por-
trait of Isabella, 353-356

Toledo, Don Pedro de, at the corona-
tion of Charles V., ii. 315

Tonso, Benedetto, ii. 203

Torelli, Barbara, murder of her
husband, i. 312

Torelli, Ippolita, her marriage, ii. 131 ;
birth of a son, 146

Torre, Amico della, ii. 131

INDEX

417

Torre, Marco della, ii. 2

Tortosa, Cardinal of, elected Pope, ii.
196

Tosabezzi, Benedetto, i. 164 ; receives
notice to leave Milan, 189

Toscana, Eaffaelle, his poem on the
Studio of the Grotta, i. 158

Tovaglia, Angelo del, sketch of his
house, i. 318 ; letter from Isabella
d'Este, 323

Tremoglia, M., i. 257

Tremoli, Duca di, ii. 308

Tr^mouille, La, i. 250 ; ii. 244 ; de-
feated at Novara, 93

Trent, Bishop of, ii. 313

Trent, ii. 326

Trevisano, Franceschino, i. 219

Trevisano, M. Niccolo, i. 219

Triboulet, the court-jester, ii. 130 ;
portrait of, 41

Tricarico, M., ii. 160

Tridapale, Giovanni Francesco, secre-
tary to Isabella d'Este, ii. 243 ; on
the quintain races, 291

Tripalda, Marchese, his wedding, ii.
147

Trissino, Giangiorgio, on the appear-
ance of Isabella d'Este, i. 9 ; on
the sweetness of her voice, 11 ; his
Ritratti, ii. 102-105; at Mantua,
138, 212 ; on the tyrant Eccelino
Romano, 145 ; sends Isabella a
canzone, 210 ; at Bologna, 304 ; oq
the state of his garden at Cricoli,
372

Trivulzio, Gian Giacomo, i. 156, 298 ;
his advance to the relief of the Duke
of Ferrara, ii. 51 ; seizes Bologna,
52 ; defeated at Novara, 93

Trivulzio, Messer Teodora di, i. 238

Trotti, Ferrarese envoy and agent, 1.
55,81; ii. 21

Trotti, Brandelisio, i. 62; on Isabella
d'Este's departure, 51

Trovaso, San, i. 98

Tiibingen, University of, i. 33

Tucca, Messer Giovanni, secretary to
Alfonso d'Avalos, ii. 352

Tnra, Cosimo, his portrait of Isabella
d'Este, i. 4; frescoes, 12

Tuscany, conquest of, i. 244

Tuscullano, i. 50 ; ii. 101

Tuttavilla, Girolamo, i. 64

Tyande, M. de, ii. 39

Tyrol, Alps of, i. 22

T^one, ii. 177

Ubebti, Lodovico, i. 105
Umbria, i. 236

Urbino, Elisabetta Gonzaga, Duchess
of, attachment to her home, i. 44 ;
VOL. II,

ill-health, 45 ; appearance, 45 ;
affection for Isabella, 48, 101 ;
character, 49 ; death of her sisters,
52, 253 ; illness, 67, 68 ; postpone-
ment of her visit to Mantua,
67-69; reception, 69; return to
Urbino, 106, 128, 259 ; at Gubbio,
109 ; on the death of Giovanni
Santi, 111 ; at Mantua, 124, 140,
224 ; on her visit to Rome, 180, 301 ;
reception of Lucrezia Borgia, 196 ;
costume, 204 ; visits to Venice,
217-224, 240 ; at Porto, 227 ; straits
for money, 240 ; visit of the Roman
court, 302 ; death of her husband,
307 ; grief, 308 ; intercession for
Francesco Mantegna, 370 ; her por-
trait, '39'2; attack of gout, ii. 36;
on the conduct of Tebaldo, 91 ;
audience with Leo X., 126; exiled
for the second time, 128; allow-
ance, 129 ; her death, 249 ; tributes
to her memory, 250

Urbino, Federico, Duke of, i. 4, 15,
16,42

Urbino, Francesco Maria, Duke of,
succeeds to the title, i. 307 ; at
Mantua, 309; meeting with Leo-
nora, 310; violent temper, 311;
presents to Isabella, 311 ; in com-
mand of the papal forces, 380 ;
summoned to lead the troops
against Ravenna, ii. 35 ; at Rome,
42 ; murders Cardinal Alidosi, 52 ;
biton of Papal Gonfaloniere with-
drawn, 125 ; summoned to Rome,
126 ; charges against, 126 ; excom-
municated and deprived of his
states, 127; at Pietola, 127; per-
mitted to reside at Mantua, 129;
attempt to recover his dominions,
132 ; terms with Francis I., 132 ;
forced to leave Mantua, 189; at
Verona, 190 ; Magnzano, 191 ; re-
storation, 192 ; proposed marriage
of his son, 198; affection for his
aunt Isabella, 201 ; appointed
General of the Venetian army, 231,
251,374; takes Cremona, 351 ; in-
capacity, 265 ; entry into Urbino,
313 ; at the coronation of Charles
v., 315; his portrait, 375; death,
375

Urbino, Guidobaldo, Duke of, i. 40 ;
his tapestries, 17 ; his betrothal,
42 ; appearance and character, 44 ;
illness, 68 ; at Gubbio, 109 ; his
reception of Lucrezia Borgia, 196 ;
flight to Mantua, 229 ; at Milan,
235 ; forced to leave Mantua, 240 ;
at Venice, 240 ; attempt to recover

2d

418

INDEX

his throne, 241 ; attack of illness,
241 ; return to Urbino, 254 ; ap-
pointed Oaptain-general of the
Church, 258 ; Order of the Garter
conferred, 270 ; his death, 306 ;
requiem mass, 307

Urbino, Signor Guidobaldo, ii. 127 ;
his proposed marriage, 198 ; hos-
tage, 200 ; his marriage, 366

Urbino, Leonora, Duchess of, birth
of a son, ii. 29 ; at Rome, 42 ; char-
acter, 43 ; at Bologna, 313 ; her
beauty, 313, 319 ; birth of her son
Giulio, 365 ; marriage of her son
Guidobaldo, 366 ; at Mantua, 374 ;
portrait, 375; death of her hus-
band, 375

Urbino, Raphael of, his dealings with
Isabella d'Este, ii. 274-276

Urbino, Duchy of, seizure, i. 228 ;
annexed to the Papal States, ii. 160

Urbino, palace of, i. 110 ; plays, 264 ;
manufacture of majolica, ii. 367

Vaila, defeat at, ii. 31

Valentino, Duke, i. 179. See Borgia

Valentinois, Duke of, i, 152

Valeric, Messer Carlo, i. 223, 290

Valerio, Zuan, i. 272, 354 ; ii. 369 ; at
Bologna, 305

Valtelline Alps, i. 155

Varana, Giulia, her marriage, ii. 366

Varana, Maria, i. 311

Varese, Frate Raphael da, i. 222

Vasari, on Leonardo da Vinci's car-
toon, i. 320 ; his estimate of Peru-
gino, 337; on Costa's portraits,
377; on the comedy "Calandria,"
ii. 113; on Raphael's portrait of
Leo X., 245 ; on the masquerades
at Mantua, 350

Vasto, Marchese del, ii. 311, 323 ;
invested with the Order of the
Golden Fleece, 350 ; letter from
Isabella d'Este, 352

Velletri, ii. 269

Venetians, defeat at Vaila, ii. 31 ;
recover Padua, 32; senators, em-
bassy of, 311

Venice, war with, i. 5 ; Ascension-
tide fetes, 97 ; ii. 188, 234 ; espousals
of, with the sea, i. 100 ; rejoicings
at, 121 ; armistice and treaty with
France, 138, 151; visits to, 218;
ii. 228, 234, 326, 344, 346 ; sights
of, i. 220; absolution of, ii. 42

Venice, Correr Museum at, ii. 368

Venice, Doge of, sponsor, i. 105

Venier, Domenico, ii. 247 ; taken
prisoner, 263; his ransom, 263;
at Mantua, 268 ; escape, 268

Venier, Marco Antonio, ii. 324

Venturi, A., Archivio St. d. Arte, i.
375 n. ; ii. 2 n., 10 n. ; on Cara-
dosso's inkstand, 4 n.

Venus, torso of, i. 230

Vercelli, Bishop of, ii. 336

Vercelli, i. 123

Verdelino, Abbey of, ii. 180

Vergerio, Paolo, De Educando Liberit,
i. 174

Verona, Colombino of, i. 41

Verona, i. 101, 142, 224; ii. 32,
190

Vettori, Francesco, Storia d^ Italia, ii.
67 n.

Viana, i. 261

Vianello, Michele, i. 341 ; correspon-
dence on Giovanni Bellini, 342-
347 ; death, 360 ; sale of his cabin-
etto, 360

Viani, the architect, ii. 204

Vicenza, i. 101 ; ii. 32

Vicovaro, ii. 375

Vigevano, i. 58 ; taken by the French,
ii. 232

Vigilio, Francesco, i. 186 ; his comedy,
262 ; tutor to Federico, ii. 45 ; on
his progress, 121-123 ; funeral ora-
tion on the Marquis of Mantua,
156

Vincenzo II., Duke, sells his collection
of pictures to Charles I., i. 162 ; ii.
390

Vincenzo, Dominican Convent of S.,
i. 263

Vinci, Leonardo da, i. 132, 155, 170 ;
portrait of Isabella d'Este, 171 ;
his study of hydraulics, 279 ; at
Milan, 296, 327; sketch of the
house of Angelo del Tovaglia, 318 ;
his cartoons, 319, 320, 323 ; ab-
sorption in geometrical studies,
320 ; on Lorenzo dei Medici's vases,
322; letters from Isabella, 324,
325 ; at Fiesole, 326 ; his portrait
of Cecilia Gallerani, 341

Violante, Madonna, i. 310

Virgil, his birthplace, i. 22 ; erection
of a statue to, 173-176

Visconti, Messer Antonio, i. 130

Visconti, Filippo, Duke of Milan, i.
24

Visconti, Francesco Bernardino, L
239

Visconti, Gasparo, i. 84

Vite, Timoteo, ii. 368

Vitellozzo, murdered, i. 244

Viterbo, Cardinal Egidio of, i. 255

Viterbo, Sister Lucia of, i. 207

Viterbo, ii. 255 ; battles of, i. 67 ;
French army at, 265

INDEX

419

Waagen, Dr., Kunstwerke in England,

ii. 162 n.
Whitehall, tournament at, ii. 175;

banquet, 175
Wolsey, Cardinal, ii. 174
World, discovery of the New, i.

94
Wiirtemberg, Count Eberhard von,

founder of the University of

Tubingen, i. 33
Wnrtemberg, Duke of, ii. 312

Yriarte, Charles, i. 171, Oazette des B.
Arts, 159 n., 162 n., 327 n., 329 n.,
342 n., 356 n., 361 n., 372 n. ; ii. 20 n.,
39 n. ; Isabella d'Este, i. 101 n. ; his
model of Isabella d'Este's Studio,
ii. 206 71.

Zaccaria, Church of S., i. 100
Zambotto, Oronaca, i. 206 n,
Zampeluna, ii. 5
Zaninello, Giaufrancesco, his gift to

Isabella d'Este, i. 387 ; presented

\7ith her portrait, 388 ; lends the

portrait to be copied by Titian, ii.

354
Zeeland, ii. 177, 182
Zeno, Church of S., at Lonato, ii.

96
Ziliolo, Bartolomeo, ii. 366 ; commis

sion from Isabella d'Este, i. 72
Zoccolanti, Convent, i. 229
Zoiosa, Casa, or Maison Joyeute, i. 21
Zoppo, M. Paolo, i. 354, 356
Zorzi, Marino, his description of

Cardinal Sigismondo, ii. 194
Zucchetti, Lucrezia Boryia, ii. 158 n.

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